Journal: Cancer
This article focuses on the rising incidence and persistently poor outcomes of penile cancer, particularly in developed countries and among younger men, despite its rarity.
Key points:
- Penile cancer carries substantial psychosocial burden, including stigma, distress, and loss of sexual and urinary function, alongside high mortality.
- Survival rates have not improved in parallel with rising incidence, suggesting failures in early detection and timely presentation.
- The authors identify stigma—shame, embarrassment, and fear surrounding genital symptoms and examination—as a central driver of delayed help‑seeking in men with early or undiagnosed disease.
- They argue that penile cancer has been neglected by health systems and policymakers, despite having features (visible, potentially symptomatic early lesions) that make it amenable to earlier diagnosis.
- The article advocates for targeted public health strategies, including antistigma and awareness campaigns, to normalize genital symptom reporting and examination and to promote earlier presentation and diagnosis, with the goal of improving outcomes.