Man tells of penis amputation trauma after cancer diagnosis as cases soar

22 June 2024 , 08:06

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Cases of penile cancer are rising globally (Image: Getty Images)

A man has told of feeling like he was “decapitated” after having part of his penis removed in Brazil due to a cancer type that has seen a sharp rise in cases.

Joao, not his real name, reportedly said how his sex life was affected due to a wart on his penis and he regularly went for medical help where he was told it was just excess skin and he was given medication.

And it was only after five years that he was finally given the diagnosis that he has penile cancer which is rare but there has been a notable increase in cases and death rates globally.

Cancer Research states: “Penile cancer is a rare cancer in the UK. It happens when abnormal penile cells grow in an uncontrolled way. It can develop anywhere on the penis but is most common under the foreskin in men who haven’t been circumcised or on the head of the penis (the glans).”

But the charity said that since the early 1990s, penile cancer incidence rates have increased by more than a quarter (28%) among males in the UK. And it added that there could be around 1,100 new cases of penile cancer every year in the UK by 2038-2040.

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What is penile cancer?

• Penile cancer is a rare cancer that mostly affects the skin of the penis and the foreskin (the skin covering the head of the penis).
• It's most common in men over 50.
• Anyone with a penis can get penile cancer.
• How serious penile cancer is depends on how big the cancer is, if the cancer has spread, and your general health.

Brazil has one of the highest rates in the world and Joao has told how it was a “very unpleasant surprise” for his family when he found out he had cancer. "For my family, it was a very unpleasant surprise, even more so because I had to have part of the penis amputated. I feel like I was decapitated," he told the BBC. "It's a type of cancer that you can't talk about with people because it could turn into a joke."

In Brazil there have been 21,000 reported cases from 2012 to 2022, according to Brazil’s Ministry of Health leading to 6,500 amputations and 4,000 deaths.

Joao underwent an amputation last January and he also told how it is a subject that is difficult to discuss socially. "It's something you never imagine will happen to you, and when it does, you can't just go around telling people," he reportedly said. "I was terrified of surgery, but there was no other alternative. The feeling in the first weeks after the surgery was one of sadness, I can't deny it. Not having part of your penis is horrible."

Main symptoms of penile cancer

Most penile cancers affect the skin covering the penis (foreskin), or the head or tip (glans) of the penis. The most common symptoms are:

• a growth, lump or sore that does not heal within 4 weeks
• a rash
• bleeding from your penis or under your foreskin
• a smelly discharge
• difficulty pulling back your foreskin
• a change in the colour of the skin of your penis or foreskin

Other symptoms of penile cancer may include:

• a lump in your groin
• feeling tired
• tummy pain
• losing weight without trying

Tim Hanlon