sliced like button mushroom.
Penile cancer accounts for less than 1% of cancers in men in North America. Urethral cancer, which can occur in both men and women, is also very rare and represents less than 1 percent of cancers overall. In addition, the number of people with urethral cancer has been declining over the last 30 years.
What are the risk factors for penile and urethral cancers?
In general, men who have human papillomavirus (HPV) or other sexually transmitted diseases are at higher risk for both penile and urethral cancers. Men who have never been circumcised carry higher risk of penile cancer.
Men with a history of bladder cancer carry higher risk of urethral cancer.
Having a greater risk does not mean you will develop cancer. At the same time, some patients develop cancer even if they don’t have any of the risk factors.
How are penile or urethral cancer diagnosed?
These cancers are so rare that screening is not formally recommended. Yet, these cancers can be caught early with regular checkups and by understanding the risk factors.
Penile cancer could start to cause lumps or redness on the penis. Men with urethral cancer might notice urinary incontinence, difficulties with urination, unusual discharge or blood from the urethra or a lump in the penis/groin area.
Men who experience these visible symptoms might be suffering from penile or urethral cancer and should visit their doctor.