'I thought I was just tired, it was cancer and I'd ignored the signs for months'
A Kildare dad-of-four never imaged he could get cancer, until months of tiredness and a foul smell from his penis turned out to be signs of a rare but serious disease.
Cormac France, who describes himself as "very fit and active" shared his experience of penile cancer as part of a new HSE awareness campaign called 'Know the Signs', launched to coincide with Men's Health Week.
"I'm a very fit and active person. I used to do a lot of training," cancer survivor Cormac explained. "Because I don't smoke, I didn't think I would be a candidate to get cancer, never mind penile cancer, which is rarer again."
He initially dismissed the symptoms for months. Cormac said: "Looking back from when I was diagnosed, I did notice, the six months or so previous, that's when the changes really started with weight loss, chronic tiredness, and as time progressed, the smell from my penis was horrendous, and then the penis started to split. That was due to the tumours. Cancer can reach every part of your body, and people have to realise that. To get the news is devastating, but there are people there to help."
Penile cancer, a rare but aggressive disease diagnosed in about 60 men in Ireland each year, mostly affects men over 50. Early detection significantly improves survival rates and can preserve function and appearance.
The HSE is urging men to take early signs of penile cancer seriously and to seek medical help of they notice any changes.
Consultant Urologist Mr Ivor Cullen, who leads the National Penile Cancer Service at Beaumont Hospital, emphasised the importance of awareness, saying: "These new resources are aimed at increasing knowledge of penile cancer among men. Although a rare disease, penile cancer is a very aggressive disease when it has spread. Penile cancer is, in large part, preventable, yet we're still seeing men present late because of stigma and lack of awareness. It's a sensitive subject, yes, but early detection makes all the difference, not just for survival, but for preserving function and quality of life."
Men are advised to watch for these signs and symptoms:
Alison Doran, Clinical Nurse Specialist in Penile and Bladder Cancer at Beaumont Hospital, added that risk factors include age over 50, HPV infection, smoking, poor hygiene and conditions like phimosis, which cause chronic inflammation.
She said: "The main risk factors are men over 50 years of age, and infection with HPV, human papillomavirus, which is a significant risk factor. We would see over half of our cases linked to HPV. Smoking also increases the risk, and poor hygiene is another key factor. If a patient has a previous experience of phimosis, which is tightening of the foreskin, or if there's a build-up of smegma under the foreskin, that can create chronic inflammation and create cancer cells as well."
Smegma is a build-up of thick, cheesy-looking secretions around your genitals that collects when you don't wash them regularly. It can be white or yellow and is a combination of oils from your sebaceous glands.
The campaign is running across HSE social media channels and includes a new booklet, 'What I Need to Know About Penile Cancer', available for free download at www.healthpromotion.ie. This guide helps men, families and healthcare providers recognise symptoms early, understand risks and find support.
Men across Ireland are urged not to ignore unusual symptoms and to seek medical advice immediately as early action could save lives.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
41 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
Project to strengthen farmers' mental health 'very successful'
A project supporting farmers' mental health has been 'very successful' and a great example of helping men, a Tipperary hurler and academic said. Dr Conor Hammersley is a former Tipperary player and principal investigator in rural mental health at the New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health. 'There's good data to say that farmers experience many challenges around their mental health and (it's) one of the highest occupations associated with suicide,' he said. He was part of a team designing a training programme for agricultural advisors so they could help with mental health on top of what they already offer farmers. The idea, he said, was to 'try and meet them (farmers) where they're at and to try and create more supportive networks around mental health'. The 'On Feirm Ground' project – a play on words between the English word firm and the Irish for farm – includes advice on recognising signs of distress in farmers. Speaking on a HSE podcast to mark Men's Health Week, he said: 'From what I can see, it's been very successful'. This tailored focus on one group is 'a great example' of how men's health could be approached, he suggested. 'Too often it's seen that men are just one homogenous group and this is why data is so important and demography is so important,' he said. "When you use data and you use demographics, you can see what communities are in most need of resources to be distributed towards them.' HSE podcast host, Fergal Fox, said: 'Thankfully we've seen the On Feirm Ground programme go from strength to strength.' The advisors welcomed the training, he noted. 'They could see the issues coming up in the farmyard. They were talking to farmers that were stressed out and that they were trying to advise them,' he said. But they could see that their issues were beyond the agri-business or the farming itself. He added this year the Department of Agriculture has increased funding for health, safety, and well-being. 'So there'll be more activities coming out,' he said. Dr Hammersley also plays in New York and was part of their victory in the Lory Meagher Cup last month. He referred to comments by team captain Johnny Glynn in a 'very powerful' interview on The GAA Social podcast earlier this month. The discussion on IVF was "sharing an experience that typically men wouldn't do," he said. 'I'm just thinking back to Johnny Glynn's podcast," he said. "And one of the things that he said since he started to speak about it himself - about the difficulty him and his partner have had with IVF treatment – the amount of men that have come to him with similar experiences." Read More Veterinary Advice: Farmers must reach out for help in this time of hardship
Irish Independent
7 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Tipperary mental health nurses celebrated on International Nurses Day
Today at 05:15 International Nurses Day was recently marked at one of its residential care centres in Clonmel by the HSE's mental health services in the South Tipperary area. The occasion, observed around the world, coincides with the birth date of Florence Nightingale. She is credited as the founder of modern nursing. Alongside celebrating the nursing professions, the day also supports raising awareness of the challenges faced in healthcare. At Haywood Lodge in Clonmel, International Nurses Day was highlighted over two days last month, with a focus placed on the dedication, resilience and compassion of its nursing staff. A lunch and a special presentation of certificates and gifts, held in the main lobby, featured as part of the celebrations. Opened in 2012, the purpose built Haywood Lodge is comprised of two units - East and West House - each containing 20 en-suite bedrooms. The East House is for residents under the care of the HSE's South Tipperary Psychiatry of Later Life team. The West House is a dedicated Rehabilitation and Recovery unit. All resident bedrooms and living spaces in Haywood Lodge are built around two internal courtyards. Each bedroom has an external door that leads directly to a garden area. Speaking at the International Nurses Day occasion in Haywood Lodge, its assistant director of Nursing Lisa Grant said, 'We have an excellent reputation in provision of healthcare and associated supports here in Haywood and we are conscious of the great support we receive from the surrounding community 'Marking International Nurses Day ties in with our implementation on site here of the 'HSE workplace health and wellbeing initiative', which began as a management initiative led out by my colleague clinical nurse manager 3 Kate Beaton.' 'It is also an opportunity to highlight the importance of nurses, promoting their wellbeing and raising awareness of the nursing profession. "Our Haywood 'Wellness at Work' committee, chaired by clinical nurse manager 2, Karen Hally, with recreational nurse coordinator Aisling Carroll as PRO, also recognises and appreciates the hard work, dedication, and commitment of our nurses, who in working with health care assistants and other HSE staff provide compassionate care and support to our residents,' added Ms Grant.
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- The Irish Sun
The seven major symptoms of ‘aggressive' rare cancer you might notice when using bathroom as HSE say ‘know the signs'
MEN are being urged to look out for the signs of an "aggressive" rare cancer that they might notice when using the bathroom. Some 60 males are diagnosed with penile cancer each year in Ireland. Advertisement 3 The HSE awareness campaign highlights rare penis cancer Credit: GETTY 3 Whether you or a loved one is male, everyone should know the signs Credit: GETTY To coincide with It is aimed at raising awareness of the signs and symptoms of the disease. Early detection significantly improves survival and can help preserve function and appearance. Most men affected are usually in the over 50s age bracket, but it doesn't mean that all men still shouldn't be cautious. Advertisement READ MORE ON HEALTH The new campaign, Know the Signs, features a short with penile cancer survivor Cormac France. The dad-of-four, from . Cormac told the "Because I don't smoke, I didn't think I would be a candidate to get cancer, never mind penile cancer, which is rarer again. Advertisement Most read in Health "Looking back from when I was diagnosed, I did notice, the six months or so previous, that's when the changes really started. HSE chiefs issue warning to jetsetters "With weight loss, chronic tiredness, and as time progressed, the smell from my penis was horrendous, and then the penis started to split." These major symptoms are due to the growth of the The brave father warned male listeners about this deadly disease as he said: "Cancer can reach every part of your body, and people have to realise that." Advertisement MAIN SYMPTOMS TO coincide with Men's Health Week the HSE has launched a new campaign called 'Know the Signs'. Here are some of the main symptoms/signs to look out for: A growth or sore on your penis that doesn't heal within 4 weeks – it may look like a wart or blister Bleeding from your penis or from under the foreskin A foul-smelling discharge under the foreskin (not ejaculation) Swelling or difficulty pulling back the foreskin (phimosis) A change in skin colour on the penis or foreskin to blueish or brown A rash or small crusty bumps on the penis Consultant Urologist and Lead of the National Penile Cancer Service, Mr Ivor Cullen, has shared his concerns about the stigma the rare disease. He said: "Although a rare disease, penile cancer is a very aggressive disease when it has spread. "Penile cancer is, in large part, preventable, yet we're still seeing men present late because of stigma and lack of awareness. "It's a sensitive subject, yes, but early detection makes all the difference, not just for survival, but for preserving function and quality of life.' Advertisement For more information on this rare cancer visit or read their new booklet titled: 'What I Need to Know About Penile Cancer'. It is a guide designed to help men, families and healthcare professionals recognise symptoms early, understand risk factors, and access treatment and support 3 The HSE now have a book to help men catch this deadly disease early Credit: GETTY
