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Although he thought he had a simple “bruise” on his penis, a fifty-year-old Englishman was diagnosed with penile cancer, which led to his amputation. Faced with this tragedy, he chose to speak out about it to raise awareness of this little-known risk.
Wounds, bleeding, pain, smelly discharge… The symptoms of penile cancer are numerous. But they are also overlooked, like this simple “bruise” spotted by Shaun Evans. The fifty-year-old became concerned about this symptom late in life, before realizing: his ugly bruise was actually hiding cancer.
An ugly bruise as a symptom
According to the Daily Mail, who relayed this news item, Shaun Evans was not worried about this strange “bruise” that appeared on his penis. It was only when he realized “suffer from bleeding“, while he was showering, that the fifty-year-old began to become alarmed. A pimple, similar to a cold sore, had also developed on the base of his penis.
“I started to feel bad. I had pain down there. It was like a bad bruise.” he says. “In July, I was taking a shower. I noticed some diluted blood, which was coming from my penis. I was a little surprised, and even alarmed.”
Shaun Evans’ doctor, suspecting that it was penile cancer, then referred him to a specialist to perform a biopsy.
A few months later, the diagnosis was made: the man did indeed have penile cancer and had to have his penis amputated. In poor shape, the fifty-year-old finally had surgery at the end of 2022. The operation would last five long hours.
Treatment is in fact mainly based on surgery via a procedure that is as conservative as possible (even if sometimes total amputation is unavoidable), and in very rare cases, conservative brachytherapy. Depending on the stage of the cancer, radiotherapy or lymph node dissection is possible, or even chemotherapy.
A rare but very aggressive cancer
Happy to have escaped the worst, Shaun Evans now walks without pain and is trying to accept his new body.
“I went through all the emotions. I thought, “I’m a monster,” “Nobody will want you.”” he revealed to the Daily Mail.
The 50-year-old now hopes to raise awareness among as many people as possible about the symptoms of penile cancer, which is rare but very aggressive.
In France, the estimated number of new cases of penile cancer in 2018 was 449, according to the National Cancer Institute. It occurs more often in older men, over 60 years old. The main risk factor is HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) infection and poor local hygiene favored by the presence of phimosis (narrowing of the foreskin).
Penile cancer: other symptoms to know
While cancer can occur anywhere on the penis, “It frequently occurs on the glans, particularly at its base.“, estimates the MSD Manual.
The warning signs must be taken seriously because they vary greatly from one patient to another, reveals the website of the Reims University Hospital.
Among the frequent symptoms we find:
- A change in the skin of the penis;
- The appearance of a wart-like lesion (which may be painful);
- A small wound that does not heal;
- A reddish area on the skin of the penis;
- A small crust;
- A thickening of the penis;
- A persistent, foul-smelling discharge under the foreskin;
- Swelling of the lymph nodes in the groin crease, if the lymph nodes are affected by cancer.
Sometimes, the foreskin must be pulled back to detect a wound or lesion on the glans. When faced with these signs, there is only one good thing to do: make an appointment with your doctor. Only he or she will be able to rule out cancer.
Slideshow: What you didn’t know about the penis