| Cancer of the penis is quite rare. Cancer is a big | | | | specialist straight away. |
| worry for many people though. It is estimated | | | | Diagnosis |
| now that at least 300,000 people a year are now | | | | If you go to your doctor with any suspicious |
| diagnosed with every year in the UK. The most | | | | symptoms your doctor will examine you then if |
| common forms of cancer are breast, lung, colon | | | | feel it is prudent will refer you to a hospital |
| and prostate cancer. Cancer of the penis is much | | | | specialist for advice and treatment. |
| rarer. | | | | The specialist will examine the whole of the penis |
| In Britain around 400 men a year are diagnosed | | | | and the lymph nodes in your groin. If the cancer |
| with cancer of the penis and it mostly affects | | | | has spread to the lymph nodes they may be |
| men who are 60 of age or older. It is more | | | | enlarged. To make a firm diagnosis, the doctor will |
| common in South East Asia and Africa. | | | | take a sample of tissue (a biopsy) from any sore |
| Causes | | | | or abnormal areas on the penis. This will usually be |
| The research into penis cancer is not very | | | | done under a local anaesthetic so that the area is |
| advanced and not much is known about it. Cancer | | | | numb. The biopsies will be examined under a |
| of the penis is believed to be related to general | | | | microscope. |
| hygiene and is found to be less common in men | | | | If the biopsy comes back positive for cancer then |
| who have been circumcised. The reason being | | | | to assess the seriousness most doctors will do |
| that men who haven't had their foreskin removed | | | | more test to make sure the cancer hasn't spread |
| will find it much harder to pull back their foreskin | | | | into the body. |
| to clean thoroughly underneath. The human | | | | Cancer is spread through either the blood of |
| papilloma virus human (HPV) that causes penile | | | | through the lymphatic system. The lymphatic |
| warts also increases the risk of cancer of the | | | | system is part of he body's defence against |
| penis. | | | | infection and disease. It works as a network of |
| Cancer of the penis is not hereditary and so other | | | | lymph glands linked by fine ducts containing lymph |
| members of the family are not likely to develop it. | | | | fluid. Tests are done to see how best to treat a |
| Cancer of the penis is not contagious either. | | | | patient. |
| It is vital to keep a check on penis health because | | | | Other tests include:- |
| some skin conditions can develop into cancer if | | | | Chest x-ray |
| left unchecked and untreated. Please check for | | | | A chest x-ray is usually done to check whether |
| white patches, red scaly patches and red moist | | | | or not the cancer has spread to the lungs. |
| patches of skin on your penis. | | | | CT (computerized tomography) Scan |
| Signs and symptoms | | | | A CT scan is a specialized type of x-ray. A series |
| The first signs penile cancer is most likely to be | | | | of pictures is taken and fed into a computer to |
| changes in the color and thickness of the skin of | | | | build up a detailed picture of the inside of the |
| the penis. This may then lead to symptoms | | | | body. The scan can show whether or not the |
| including growth or sores on the penis which will | | | | cancer has spread to other parts of the body. It |
| be most likely around the head the penis or on | | | | is painless and takes 10 to 30 minutes. |
| the shaft. This may lead to discharge or bleeding. | | | | Lymph node biopsy |
| Most penile cancers are painless. | | | | If you have any enlarged lymph nodes in the |
| It is vital as with most cancers to have an early | | | | groin, your doctor may put a needle into the node |
| diagnosis and therefore gain treatment quickly to | | | | to get a sample of cells. This is to see whether or |
| bring about a positive outcome. Cancers can | | | | not the enlargement is due to cancer. Enlarged |
| sometimes appear as flat growths that are | | | | lymph nodes are often due to infection and not |
| blue-brownish in colour, or as a red rash, or small | | | | cancer, so your doctor may also give you a |
| crusty bumps. It is vital to pull back the foreskin | | | | course of antibiotics to see whether or not the |
| regularly to check because often it is the only | | | | swollen nodes shrink. |
| time these symptoms are visible. | | | | Once you have been diagnosed then doctors can |
| At this point that we must say that other | | | | go about treating the problem. The earlier the |
| illnesses than cancer can bring about these | | | | prognosis the more chance of survival if you feel |
| conditions however if you have any of these | | | | you may have penile cancer then please visit you |
| symptoms please visit you doctor or health | | | | doctor. You are not being silly. |