A man who originally complained of constipation has found out that he actually has a 10cm tumour in his anus which has spread to his penis.
Tragically, the unnamed 47-year-old man from India has now been told the cancer is incurable.
Originally, he was referred to hospital after struggling to pass stool for around a year as well as suffering from rectal bleeding and rapid weight loss.
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He also commented that he had noticed a lump in his anus and that he skin of his penis had been slowly thickening over the past six months.
Doctors at the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry, India, examined him. They found a 10cm long tumour inside his anal canal, with 1cm actually protruding out of his anus.
They carried out a CT scan which revealed that it was, in fact, cancerous. The thickening of the penis was due to the fact that the cancer had sadly spread to his penis.
He was eventually diagnosed with adenocarcinoma, a tumour which forms from the body's epithelial cells.
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Surgery was carried out so that he could go to the toilet normally, and he began a course of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, scans showed that the treatment hadn't worked - the growth had not shrunk.
Sadly, the man has now been informed that the cancer in incurable and there is nothing more than the doctors can do for him.
The story originally appeared on BMJ Reports, and was swiftly picked up by the Daily Mail - although it is important to point out that cancer spreading to the penis is rare.
Sad story.
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Words by Mel Ramsay
Featured image credit: PA Images
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