Penile cancer

Penile cancer is a very rare type of cancer. In western countries, there is thought to be about 1 new case per 100,000 people per year. The figure for Germany is thought to be somewhat lower.
This condition usually occurs in older man, but around 20% of cases occur in men aged under 60.

The most common type of penile cancer is squamous cell carcinoma, which originates in the skin of the penis. This most often affects the head of the penis (glans) or foreskin.

Causes and risk factors

Chronic inflammation of the penis (often caused by a tight foreskin) is believed to contribute to the development of penile cancer, but infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) is also a risk factor.