Cancer of the penis, or penile cancer, rarely affects men under 40, and only 1 in 100,000 men overall. It is a potentially fatal condition.
With penile cancer, tumours usually appear on the end of the penis or on the foreskin. In North America, where circumcision is routinely performed, penile cancer is rare. Bacterial production of smegma (a cheese-like substance that can form under the foreskin of the penis) may be a risk factor. Unprotected sexual relations with multiple partners and cigarette smoking are also risk factors.
As with all cancers, penile tumours occur when cells abnormally divide and grow forming a lump. Tumours can be either benign or malignant. Benign tumours do not spread to other parts of the body, although they can press on surrounding organs, affecting their function. Malignant tumours are able to spread beyond their original site. Sometimes cells break off and travel in the bloodstream or lymphatic system to other organs in the body, growing new tumours there.
Please note: the information below does not constitute medical advice. If you have any concerns at all, speak to your GP or consultant.
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Doctors recommend regular self-examination to catch any changes at an early stage. If you notice any of the following, make an appointment to see your GP:
The last two symptoms can apply to many other conditions and may not necessarily mean you have penile cancer. This is why it is important that you see your GP as soon as you notice anything unusual.
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Your doctor will examine any sores or lump and refer you to a specialist if needed. The specialist may take samples for microscope examination, or perform a biopsy test on a small piece of tissue.
If cancer is detected you will need further tests to find out how developed the cancer is and if it has spread to other parts of the body. Tests could include:
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For more advanced small tumours at the tip of the penis, a partial penectomy (removal of a portion of the penis) may be carried out under general anaesthetic. Laser surgery is another option, although this is still in its experimental stage.
For very advanced tumours, a total penectomy (amputation of the whole penis) is required. A new urethral opening for urine to pass through is made in the groin area.
It is possible to have a penis reconstructed after amputation.
Visit your GP or consultant if you're concerned about penile cancer symptoms or treatment.
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Understanding a little-understood cancer
Simon’s TUF-funded research aims to determine what genetic and epigenetic changes take place in the development of Penile Cancer. Specifically, Simon is looking to find out what the early changes are in an individual tumour and how they are responsible for the development of the cancer.
His hope is that, by understanding these changes, scientists can begin to devise new tests that can diagnose the cancer and new treatments which can target its vulnerabilities.
Simon told us,
“This has been very exciting work! It has generated huge amounts of data on penile cancer that simply weren’t there before. That data is currently being analysed, but the initial results indicate that there are extensive genetic and epigenetic changes in the early stages of the cancer.
“The DNA code within each cell provides the blueprint for how a cell should function. A genetic change is a mutation or change within actual DNA code. An epigenetic change is the change in the machinery which switches different parts of the DNA ‘on’ or ‘off’. Either type of change – whether within the DNA itself or the machinery that controls it – could potentially result in the cell becoming cancerous.
“Our research has also shown that some treatments only target mutations that occur in a small part of the cancer, which could quickly cause the treatment to fail and the cancer to recur. We therefore identified which mutations are present in all regions of a tumour, rather than only in one section of the cancer. This would enable us to devise treatments that target the whole cancer.
“The next step for the research will be to test the hypotheses we’ve already developed. We’ll start this by using a range of targeted and immune treatments in advanced penile cancer patients.”
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