Definition
Penis cancer is a tumor disease that occurs on the penis. Mostly the skin of the glans or the foreskin is affected. If the tumor remains untreated, it grows from the skin of the penis to deeper structures, so that the erectile tissue and the urethra can also be affected by the cancer.
With an average of 800 new cases per year, penis cancer is one of the rare diseases and in most cases men over the age of 60 are affected. Penis cancer can develop metastases, which are usually spread by the lymphatic system to the lymph nodes of the pelvis or groin. Sometimes this type of cancer also metastasizes via the blood into the bones or lungs.
Causes
Although the causes of penis cancer are not yet fully understood, a high incidence of the disease can be associated with various risk factors. As with most cancers, age plays a crucial role in the development of penis cancer. Smoking also correlates with the disease.
Another risk factor is the presence of smegma. This is the so-called foreskin sebum, which forms under the foreskin when hygiene is inadequate. The formation of smegma is promoted by narrowing of the foreskin (phimosis), since the narrowed foreskin makes it difficult to push it back completely and thus to maintain adequate intimate hygiene.
Penis cancer is also favored by infections with HPV (human papilloma virus). This virus is sexually transmitted and represents a decisive risk factor for the development of cervical cancer in women. HPV can lead to genital warts (condylomas) in both sexes. A not insignificant factor in the etiology of penis cancer is chronic inflammation of the glans or foreskin.
Symptoms
Penis cancer usually becomes symptomatic very late in the disease’s development because it grows very slowly and is rarely accompanied by pain in the beginning. The first signs of the disease are in most cases changes in the skin of the penis. These can occur in the form of hardening, swelling or even nodules.
The skin abnormalities sometimes manifest themselves as slightly bleeding erosions that heal poorly or not at all. One of the possible concomitant symptoms, which usually only occur in the advanced stage of the disease, is an outflow from the urethra. This can be noticed by a bad smell or appear bloody tinged. If the cancer of the penis is already so far advanced that lymph node metastases have developed, these can be palpated in the form of coarse and hardened inguinal lymph nodes or become symptomatic due to a possible lymphostasis. The lymph drainage from the leg is disturbed, causing the affected leg to swell up thickly.