Top GP urges men to know the signs of penis cancer... as it becomes a bigger killer than testicular cancer

Daily Mail​

31-07-2025

A leading GP has warned men to watch out for the silent signs of a deadly cancer that kills hundreds each year, overtaking testicular cancer deaths.
Penile cancer is notoriously hard to spot because symptoms can easily be mistaken for less serious problems, which men are often too embarrassed to talk about.
As a result, late diagnosis is becoming increasingly common, with many men ignoring early warning signs—which could result in amputation.
Of men diagnosed with penile cancer early, more than 90 per cent go on to survive at least five years after diagnosis.
However, the outlook for men with the most advanced cancer where it has spread to other parts of the body is bleak: no men in this group are expected to survive for five years after their diagnosis.
B NHS GP Dr Mark Porter says men could help reduce their risk of a late-stage diagnosis by watching out for the little known signs of the deadly disease which may not only save their lives, but their penises too.
According to Cancer Research UK, 63 per cent of penile cancer cases in the UK are preventable.
Writing for The Times he said whilst cancer can develop anywhere on the penis, most penile cancers affect the foreskin or the head (glans) of the penis.
Common early symptoms include discolouration—which is often red or bluish-brown—a persistent rash or sore that lasts longer than a month, and an obvious lump or growth either on the penis or surrounding groin area.
Other red-flag warning signs include bleeding, abnormal discharge and phimosis—where it becomes difficult to retract the foreskin.
However, he added these symptoms are not always a cause for serious concern and are usually the result of an infection like thrush or inflammatory conditions.
It is also not uncommon for men to experience bleeding after trauma to the sensitive area which can tear the frenulum, the band of tissue that connects the foreskin to the head of the penis.
This can happen after intercourse, he added.
Even so, Dr Porter urged men not to dismiss any abnormal changes to the area, however slight, and to contact their GP if they are concerned.
'There is a good chance the result won't be as bad as you feared—but that doesn't mean it's okay to put off that appointment,' he said.
Whilst penile cancer is rare and typically affects middle-aged men, it can develop much sooner, making early diagnosis crucial.
'The other major advantage of early diagnosis is that often it means treatment is less invasive,' the GP explained.
According to the NHS, treatment for early cancer is usually non-surgical, including chemotherapy creams such as 5 fluorouracil and laser therapy through which suspicious lesions are 'burnt off'.
However, if the cancer is found later, perhaps as a result of patients putting off seeking help, treatment is a lot more aggressive.
This can include removing the top layer of skin from the head of the penis, cutting out lymph nodes—which help the body to fight off infection—and even amputation.
A full amputation, known as a penectomy, also involves having to have a new outlet for the bladder made between the anus and scrotum.
But, the NHS warns, any surgery is likely to affect how a patient's penis looks.
Chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy can all also be used to help shrink tumours and reduce the risk of the cancer spreading further.
Reconstructive surgery is an option for men who have had to have their penis removed, using skin and muscles from other parts of the body to make a fully functioning penis.
Whilst any man can get penile cancer certain factors can increase an individual man's risk of developing the disease.
According to the NHS around half of all penile cancers are caused by certain types of HPV which affect the genital area.
The virus—medically known as human papillomavirus—can be spread via skin-to-skin contact of the genital area, vaginal, anal or oral sex and sharing sex toys.
As such, according to Cancer Research UK, 63 per cent of penile cancer cases are preventable.
Smoking also increases the risk of developing the disease and those who are immunocompromised due to conditions like HIV are also more likely to get penile cancer.
Dr Porter added: 'Circumcision as a child or teenager offers protection against the disease as it reduced exposure to secretions known as smegma produced by the foreskin.'
A six-year study was launched back in 2021 to ascertain how successful a new form of immunotherapy—called cemiplmab—is at treating penile cancer that has spread.
The Epic study, led by Professor Amit Bahl a urology professor at the University of Bristol, is still ongoing but if initial findings can be upheld experts believe it could help prolong the lives of men with advanced penile cancer.
Around one in 400 men in the UK are diagnosed with penile cancer each year, with the disease killing twice as many men as testicular cancer.