Penile Cancer: Prevention

HPV vaccination may be able to prevent some penile cancer (= primary prevention).

To prevent penile carcinoma (penile cancer), attention must be paid to reducing individual risk factors.

Behavioral risk factors

• Use of stimulants
  • Tobacco (smoking) (5.9-fold relative risk; dose-dependent)
• Lack of sexual hygiene

Prevention factors (protective factors)

• Early circumcision (foreskin circumcision).
  • Ritual circumcision in childhood: reduction in incidence of penile carcinoma by a factor of 3.
  • In childhood: reduction of the risk of carcinoma by a factor of 10; the incidence of carcinoma in situ (CIS) remains the same.