Many are afraid to hear the diagnosis of Oncology, although cancer is not always a fatal sentence. This article will tell you about such a dangerous disease as cancer of the male genital organ, methods of diagnosis and treatment.
Symptoms of the disease
The most common symptoms of penile cancer are changes affecting the skin of the penis, such as tightening and bloating in this area. Another alarming symptom of a dangerous disease is a change in the color of the skin of the penis.
Consider the most common signs of penile cancer:
- Changes in the appearance of the skin of the penis, such as color.
- Discharges that sometimes have a rather unpleasant odor.
- Swollen patches, swelling, a reddish rash, thickening, or swelling of an unnatural color.
- Unexplained pain in the penis.
- Genital bleeding.
- Inflamed lymph nodes in the groin (inguinal adenopathy).
Often, penile cancer looks like warts of an unnatural color, covered with scab.
Early detection of oncology
These symptoms can also occur with other diseases that are not cancerous diseases, so you should definitely consult a doctor, since cancerous diseases at the initial stage also have these symptoms. If the doctor has discovered symptoms of cancer, then a physical examination and a biopsy will be performed, which involves taking cells from the affected area of the penis to study them and make a diagnosis.
Almost all cancers of the penis develop first in the glans penis (cancer of the glans penis) or on the skin under the foreskin (if the man is not circumcised).
Cancer rarely develops on the main axis of the penis. Therefore, it can be detected only when the foreskin is pulled back. Typically, the first symptom of penile cancer is a discoloration of the scalp or foreskin. Damaged skin can also tighten or become unnaturally red. Then the affected area of the skin gradually turns into a small flat lump (often a bluish-brown color) or an ulcer; there is also the possibility that the affected tissue will bleed. This usually does not cause acute pain. In some cases, in the initial stages of cancer, small cones with a crust may appear.
A photo of penile cancer can be shocking.
Symptoms in the last stages
If cancer is not treated, then, as a rule, it develops and spreads to the entire surface of the glans penis and / or foreskin. And then it spreads to deeper tissues of the penis and to other parts of the body, where it can cause other symptoms. Men tend to feel embarrassed or afraid at the first symptoms and may not go to the doctor until the cancer becomes obvious, so it is important to report any changes to the doctor.
Traditional symptoms of penile cancer in the last stages (third or fourth stage):
- Bulge in the groin (due to lymph nodes).
- Inflammation.
- Fatigue.
- Abdominal pain.
- Bone pain.
- Weight loss for no apparent reason.
Types of oncological diseases of the male genital organ
There are six different types of penile cancers:
- Squamous cell carcinoma. This squamous type of penile cancer in men. It is the most common. Often develops on the foreskin or glans penis.
- Warty carcinoma. It may appear as a wart in the penis area and, as a rule, is limited to the area of the penis, but does not pass to other parts of the body.
- Adenocarcinoma. It develops from the sweat glands of the skin.
- Melanoma. It originates from cells called melanocytes (which give the skin a dark color). In rare cases, it can develop very quickly.
- Cancer of the basal cell. It develops in skin cells. This type of cancer progresses slowly and is usually localized, without moving to other areas of the body.
- Sarcoma. It is formed in the connective tissue of the penis. This is a very rare disease, considered difficult to cure.
Causes of the disease
In most cases, the reasons why penile cancer develops are not known to modern science. Nevertheless, there are factors that are known to increase the risk of cancer. They include:
- Age. This type of cancer is most common among men over fifty.
- Many cases of cancer are associated with the human papillomavirus.
- Some diseases of the foreskin can increase the risk of developing penile cancer in the future, such as erythroplasia of Keirat and xerotic obliterans balanitis (specific lichen of the penis). Both diseases are quite rare.
- Phimosis in adult men and, accordingly, lack of hygiene of the foreskin. Phimosis - the impossibility of exposing the head of the genital organ due to the narrowness of the foreskin.
- Circumcision done to a boy that robs the organ of protection against cancer.
The effect of human papillomavirus
After infections caused by the herpes virus or human papillomavirus (HPV), the risk of penile cancer increases. There are many strains of HPV. Two types of strain (HPV 16 and HPV 18) are the causes of penile carcinoma in most cases. These strains are almost always sexually transmitted from an infected person. Infections developed from one of these strains, as a rule, do not have any symptoms.
Thus, it is impossible to find out which of the sexual partners is infected. In some men, strains of the human papilloma virus that can cause cancer have a detrimental effect on the cells of the penis. This makes them more prone to mutation, usually after many years and gradually they can turn into cancer cells. Within two years, in 9 out of 10 cases of infection, the papilloma virus is completely removed from the body. This means that most people infected with these HPV strains will never get penis cancer.
What to do when symptoms are detected
If one or more symptoms are found, you should consult a doctor who, firstly, will examine the penis to assess damage and check for lymph nodes and inguinal inflammation. To diagnose and make an accurate diagnosis, the patient will undergo the following examinations:
- Penile tissue biopsy. This procedure involves extracting a small piece of organ tissue. Sometimes the tissues of the lymph nodes of the inguinal region are also removed. Waiting for a biopsy result may take two weeks.
- Magnetic resonance imaging of the penis to assess the stage of cancer.
- Computed tomography of the chest, abdomen and pelvis.
These medical studies can provide detailed information about the structure of the internal organs.
Penile Cancer Treatment
Doctors recommend surgery in most cases. The type of operation depends on the size of the tumor and its location in the penis. If this carcinoma is small and affects only the skin of the penis, then you can remove the tumor and a small amount of normal tissue. However, if the cancer is already in its final stages, it may be necessary to remove part of the penis or even complete amputation.
Reconstructive surgery is the best option for many men suffering from this cancer. The oncologist surgeon will need to discuss the various types of reconstructive surgery in more detail with the patient himself. Lymph nodes in the groin are usually removed also during surgery. In addition to surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy can be used to ensure that the remains of the cancer cells have died. If the cancer is in the initial stage and only on the glans penis, sometimes doctors prescribe a special anti-cancer cream to destroy diseased cells.
Excellent results can be achieved by the method of laser microsurgery, which does not have a significant effect on the sexual life and urination of men. After surgery, the life of patients is more than five years.
Stages of the development of the disease
Cancer of the genital organ can be detected at various stages depending on the development of the disease, from the first stage, when the cancer is limited to the skin of the penis, to the fourth stage, where the lymph nodes expand in the pelvic area or in other parts of the body. Cancer cells may be at different stages of development during a biopsy study. The disease can proceed in four stages:
- 1st stage (initial). Cells look quite similar to normal ones, as a rule, they grow and multiply very slowly and are not so aggressive.
- 2nd stage (middle).
- 3rd stage. Cancer cells look very unusual and, speaking the medical language, are little differentiated, as a rule, they grow and multiply very quickly and are more aggressive.
- In the fourth stage, metastases can spread to other parts of the body and organs, this is the last stage of penile cancer.
The development of each stage takes a different amount of time. A disease of this nature can develop for quite some time, and can progress at lightning speed, leaving no chance for the patient. It all depends on the nature of the disease and the condition of the human body. Information about the stage and degree of development of the disease helps doctors choose the best treatment option.
Recovery Prediction
There is a chance to cure this disease if the cancer of the penis is diagnosed and treated when it is at an early stage (limited to the penis and does not extend to the lymph nodes). In general, the later the diagnosis is made, the more serious the stage of cancer, the worse the prognosis. Even if it is impossible to cure cancer, treatment can often slow down the development of cancer. Most penile cancer treatments do not affect your ability to have sex, even if surgery is required.
The prevalence of this type of disease
Penile cancer in general is a rarity among men in Europe and North America, but is relatively common among men in East Asia, South America, and Africa. In Russia, the incidence is only 0.3%, and in the United States - 0.4%. The average age of patients is about sixty years; among persons under eighteen years of age, this disease has not been identified.