Penile Cancer Screening

However, penile cancer typically begins on the skin of the penis, and therefore can be found early and treated with little or no disfigurement to the penis. Winship Cancer Institute encourages men to familiarize themselves with the signs of penile cancer and report them to their doctor right away.

Most cancers don’t produce symptoms until they’ve already grown to advanced stages. But early-stage penile cancers often produce changes to the penis that can lead to a diagnosis before the cancer spreads to other parts of the body.

Anyone experiencing the following penile cancer symptoms should report them to their doctor without delay.

• Any new growths, including lumps, warts, sores or crusty bumps, on the penis
• Any change in skin color
• A thickening of the penis skin
• Reddish, velvety rash under the foreskin
• Bleeding or discharge from the foreskin
• Swelling of the penis that may make the foreskin more difficult to retract
• Lumps or swelling in the groin or pelvis

These symptoms can be caused by a variety of conditions, and most people who experience these symptoms do not have penile cancer. Still, it’s important to seek a diagnosis right away. The sooner penile cancer is diagnosed, the better your prognosis will be.

Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University is dedicated to curing cancer through our extensive research program, which goes beyond developing novel treatments for cancer. We’re focused on improving the ways the world prevents, detects, diagnoses, treats and survives all types of cancer, including penile cancer.