How to identify and treat penile cancer
“Penis cancer is a rare tumor that can appear in the organ or simply on the skin that coats it, causing changes in skin color and texture, as well as the appearance of nodules or sores that take a long time to disappear.
To identify this type of cancer, it is very important to be aware of symptoms such as:
However, some of these symptoms may also indicate sexually transmitted diseases such as herpes, syphilis or gonorrhea, so it is best to consult a urologist for necessary diagnostic tests, confirm the cause, and initiate appropriate treatment.
See other symptoms that may indicate a sexually transmitted disease
Penis cancer is more common in people over age 60, but it can also occur in young people, especially men who smoke, have poor hygiene in the intimate area, or have intimate contact without a condom, for example.
Penis cancer is curable, but surgery may be needed to remove the affected tissue, and therefore the larger the tumor, the greater the chances of man suffering erectile dysfunction; however, there are treatments, such as the penis prosthesis, that help the patient recover from erectile dysfunction.
Treatment should be guided by an oncologist or urologist and usually begins with surgery to remove as much affected tissue as possible and is then supplemented with chemotherapy or radiation therapy to remove the remaining tumor cells.
Depending on the size and degree of cancer development, a man may have complications after surgery, such as erectile dysfunction, because the more tissue needs to be removed, the greater the risk of affecting the muscles needed for penile erection.In cases, your doctor may recommend using a penis prosthesis that allows a man to have and maintain an erection during intimate contact.Learn more about the penis prosthesis and how it works.
In the most severe cases, when the tumor is at a very advanced stage, your doctor may recommend emasculation, which involves the total removal of the entire sex organ and testicles, for these cases a new technique is being developed to perform the penis.transplantation, in order to perform any sexual function.
This type of treatment is under study to restore the urinary and sexual capacity of patients who had to remove the entire penis during cancer treatment, this surgery is not yet available and during tests, which have already been performed, it took about 15 hours to connect all blood vessels and nerves.
The transplanted organ should come from a donor with similar structural characteristics to reduce the risk of infection, bleeding and rejection, however, it is not yet possible to predict the success of the transplant in the treatment of erectile dysfunction, which can negatively affect the psychological state.patient health.
To prevent penile cancer, it is important to take certain precautions such as:
Although there is no specific cause for the development of penile cancer, these precautions avoid certain risk factors, such as poor hygiene or HPV infection, for example.