Penile cancer 

  • Penile cancer

Introduction 

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a treatment for cancer. A consultant medical oncologist explains the chemotherapy process and patients talk about their own experiences of the treatment.

What is cancer?

The body is made up of millions of different types of cells. Cancer happens when some of the cells multiply in an abnormal way. When cancer affects organs and solid tissues it causes a growth called a tumour to form. Cancer can occur in any part of the body where the cells multiply abnormally.

Penile cancer is a rare type of cancer that occurs in the skin or tissues of the penis. It occurs in about 470 men each year and is most often diagnosed in men over 50.

Men who carry the human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes genital warts, are at an increased risk of developing penile cancer.

Symptoms can include redness, irritation and a sore or lump on the penis.

Outlook

Penile cancer can be treated using a combination of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. As with most types of cancer, the outlook for individual cases depends largely on how far the cancer has advanced at the time of diagnosis.

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Last reviewed: 20/10/2010

Next review due: 20/10/2012

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Cancer: understanding test results

What your cancer test results mean, including stages and grades of cancer, and questions to ask your doctor

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