According to a recent report by the Brazilian Society of Urology (SBU), there have been more than 6,000 cases of penile amputations in Brazil within the last decade to address penile cancer in three out of every ten patients. The SBU highlighted that this condition could be prevented through basic hygiene practices and the administration of HPV vaccinations.
“Many people don’t even know that it’s possible to have penile cancer, they don’t go to specialists and end up receiving the diagnosis too late,” Maurício Dener Cordeiro, coordinator of the SBU’s Uro-Oncology Department stated. If detected early, penile cancer has a favorable prognosis and can be managed with less invasive treatment. In such instances, the tumor is localized to the superficial skin layers and does not extend to deeper tissues. This allows for targeted removal of the affected area without the need for penile amputation.
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In the extreme “cases, the urethra is placed in the perineum, and the patient has to start urinating sitting down, which can be a challenge,” Cordeiro also added.
Penile cancer is characterized by a persistent infection of the foreskin, the protective skin covering the penis head, which initially presents as a non-healing wound that progresses into an ulcer or significant lesion. Inadequate hygiene practices contribute to its development, allowing for the proliferation of fungi and bacteria in the area.
According to Cordeiro, the area should be cleaned every day in the shower. ”It’s necessary to retract the foreskin, expose the glans, and wash the area with soap and water. Patients with phimosis (difficulty in exposing the glans) have a higher risk of developing the disease and may resort to surgical removal of the foreskin to facilitate hygiene.”
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Furthermore, penile cancer can be linked to HPV infection, a sexually transmitted virus that affects approximately 9 million individuals in Brazil and is also known to cause cervical cancer in women. Preventive measures such as condom use during sexual activity and vaccination against the virus are advised to reduce the risk of transmission.
It is crucial for individuals to promptly seek medical attention if they experience persistent non-healing wounds, abnormal discharges, changes in skin color on the penis head, or nodules in the groin area to prevent the need for aggressive treatments.
President of the SBU, Luiz Otávio Torres, highlighted data from the Health Ministry indicating that more than half of the diagnosed cases of penile cancer were already in advanced stages. He emphasized that proper hygiene practices with soap and water could prevent this type of cancer.
“We’re trying to run the campaign in as many SBU chapters as possible. We have 29 days in February to try,” said Torres. “It’s not about doing postectomies on everyone,” Torres insisted. The procedure is only indicated when the patient has a true phimosis, i.e. when he pulls the foreskin, the skin, and doesn’t expose the glans. If “he has the foreskin, pulls it back, and exposes the glans, there’s no need to remove the foreskin. You just have to wash the penis,” the physician also explained.
