Penile cancer generally starts on the glans (head or tip) of the penis. Each patient’s disease is classified by the type of cells in which it develops.
The penis contains several types of cells. The main types of penile cancer are:
- Squamous cell carcinoma
- Kaposi sarcoma
- Adenocarcinoma
- Melanoma
- Basal cell carcinoma
- Sarcoma
In the United States, penile cancer is diagnosed in about 1,300 men each year. The penile cancer rate is much higher in India and some South American and African countries.
Penile Cancer Risk Factors
Anything that increases your chance of getting penile cancer is a risk factor. These include:
- Age: Most cases are seen in men 50 to 70 years old. About a third are in men under 50.
- Tobacco use
- Human papillomavirus (HPV): This sexually transmitted disease has more than a dozen subtypes. HPV 16 and HPV 18 are linked most often to penile cancer.
- Lack of circumcision at birth
- Phimosis: A condition that makes it difficult to pull back the foreskin. This can lead to the buildup of body oils, bacteria and other debris known as smegma.
- UV light treatment of psoriasis
- AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome)
Learn more about penile cancer:
Behavioral and lifestyle changes can help prevent penile cancer. Visit our prevention and screening section to learn how to manage your risk.
Why choose MD Anderson for penile cancer treatment?
The experts at MD Anderson's Genitourinary Cancer Center are among the nation's most skilled and experienced at penile cancer treatment and diagnosis. While urologists outside major cancer centers typically see one case of penile cancer every two to three years, more than 30 men with penile cancer are treated at MD Anderson each year. This translates to an extraordinary level of expertise that can make a direct difference in your successful treatment and recovery.
Customized, Comprehensive Care
At MD Anderson, you receive personalized penile cancer treatment from a team of some of the most renowned experts in the nation. This group, which includes medical and surgical oncologists, as well as other physicians and a specially trained support staff, collaborates to ensure you receive the most advanced penile cancer treatments with the least impact on your body. As one of the premier cancer research institutions, we are able to offer a range of clinical trials of new agents to treat penile cancer.
And, at MD Anderson you're surrounded by the strength of one of the nation's largest and most experienced comprehensive cancer centers, which has all the support and wellness services needed to treat the whole person – not just the disease.
Cancer is like a teeter-totter. Sometimes you gotta go down to get back up.
