10 Sep 2019

Nyangagbwe Referral Hospital (NRH) has recorded a total of 28 new cases of patients diagnosed with penile cancer from October 2017 to March 2019

The hospital’s Urologist, Dr Yumar De La Paz Perez said that age groups most affected were males over the age of 55, although patients as young as 30 had been diagnosed with the condition.

Dr Yumar had said the occurrence increased with age; but nevertheless, the disease had been discovered in young men and even children in non-Western countries.

The Urologist noted that penile cancer was relatively uncommon, saying that it usually originated in the epithelium of the internal foreskin and glands portions.

He added that the most important risk factors contributing to penile cancer were socio-cultural habits, hygienic and religious practices, as well as smoking.

He further said people with a sexual history of having multiple partners and engaging in sexual intercourse at a young age were also at risk of penile cancer.

However, Dr Yumar noted that cervical cancer was not systematically associated with the presence of penile cancer in sexual partners of affected women.

The Urologist said the signs and symptoms of penile cancer consisted of primary tumors which consisted of ulcerative lesions, discoloration of the foreskin and ulcer around the penis with bacterial infection and regional lymph nodes.

Dr Yumar said an exact histological diagnosis and staging of the primary tumor and regional nodes were necessary to make therapeutic decisions.

However, he said it was also important to avoid excessive treatment which could lead to loss of the penile tissue.

“The choice of treatment depends on the size of the tumor, however, it is essential to remove all cancerous tissues,” he added.

Dr Yumar said patients diagnosed with penile cancer were normally given surgery, laser treatment, and radiotherapy, adding that there were no documented differences regarding the rate of local re-occurrences of the treatments.

Although some patients have been said to be rejecting treatment, Dr Yumar said conservative surgery amongst others improved the quality of life. He highlighted that circumcision at a younger age reduced penile cancer risk by three to five times, adding that circumcision in adulthood does not protect against cancer.

Dr Yumar advised that if any lesion was found in the penis area, medical help should be sought for a better curative outcome. ENDs