Penile Cancer
When healthy cells in your penis change or grow out of control, penile cancer can happen. If caught early, there are treatments that can keep the cancer from growing.
Cancer can form anywhere in your penis, but it most commonly starts on the head or foreskin (if you’re uncircumcised).
Symptoms of Penile Cancer
While many cancers are difficult to see, penile cancer is unique in that it usually causes your penis to look different. It may look discolored your you may see a lump.
Here are some other common symptoms:
- Bleeding from the penis
- Difficulty retracting your foreskin if you are uncircumcised
- Pain in the penis
- Raised lesions on the foreskin, head, or shaft of the penis
Causes of Penile Cancer
Penile cancer is rare in the United States, making up less than 1% of cancers among males. The condition is more common in Africa, Asia and South America.
These factors could increase your risk of penile cancer:
- A history of genital warts or human papillomavirus (HPV)
- Environmental exposure
- Smegma, a cheese-like, foul-smelling substance found under the foreskin of the penis may increase the risk
- Uncircumcised men who do not keep the area under the foreskin clean
- Smoking
Diagnosing Penile Cancer
During your visit with Colorado Springs Urological Associates, your doctor will ask you questions regarding your medical history and will perform an exam with focus on the abdomen, groin, and genitalia.
Other tests that may be performed during or after your visit:
- Blood work
- CT scan or MRI imaging as needed
- A biopsy of a lesion, performed either under local anesthesia in the office or in the operating room
Treating Penile Cancer
If you are diagnosed with penile cancer, the type of treatment(s) your doctor recommends will depend on the stage of the cancer and on your overall health.
Non-Surgical Treatments
Some penile tumors can be managed with medicine after a biopsy has been performed.
Surgical Treatments
Most tumors will be removed, which could include circumcision. For low-grade or small lesions, local excision, laser therapy, or Mohs surgery may be used.
Chemotherapy may be recommended along with surgery. Often radiation therapy is also recommended 5 days a week for 6-8 weeks.
Sampling of the lymph nodes in the groin is often required in more advanced cases, which may be performed with open surgery or laparoscopically.
In patients with large or invasive tumors, part or all of the penis may need to be removed. If so, a new opening will be created in the groin area to allow urine to exit the body.
