Had a small wart for 10 years without treatment, now discovered penile cancer

Detecting penile cancer from small warts

The patient shared that 10 years ago he went to the doctor and was prescribed circumcision and genital warts treatment many times, but the warts still did not go away.

In the past four years, the lesion has spread more and more, giving off an unpleasant odor, so he went to the Central Dermatology Hospital for examination.

After examination and necessary tests, Dr. Vu Dinh Tam - Department of Plastic Surgery and Rehabilitation, Central Dermatology Hospital - determined that the patient had penile cancer. Doctors had to perform a partial penectomy to remove the tumor and prevent the risk of metastasis.

Fortunately, the surgery was successful. The patient was discharged from the hospital in stable condition.

According to Dr. Nguyen Hong Son - head of the department of plastic surgery and rehabilitation, penile cancer is a rare disease but extremely dangerous if detected late.

"Many patients come to the hospital when the injury has progressed severely, with discharge, ulcers, odor, and swollen lymph nodes in the groin area... At this point, treatment becomes difficult, complicated, and leaves major consequences for psychology and sexual function," said Dr. Son.

More dangerously, the disease often progresses silently and is easily confused with genital warts, fungus, dermatitis, balanitis, etc., causing patients to be subjective and delay going to specialized medical facilities for examination.

Early detection of penile cancer increases the chance of successful treatment, which may involve surgical removal of the lesion while preserving the shape and function of the penis.

If detected in the early stages, the 5-year survival rate can be over 80%. Meanwhile, if it metastasizes to the inguinal lymph nodes or further away, the survival prognosis drops significantly.

5 warning signs you should not ignore

Men, especially the elderly, need to see a doctor immediately if they see one of the following signs:

• Appearance of warts, ulcers or cracks in the glans area

• The odor persists despite thorough cleaning.

• Itching, burning, pain when urinating

• Unusual discharge or bleeding from the penis

• Swollen lymph nodes in the groin area

In addition, factors that increase the risk of penile cancer include:

• Phimosis: accounts for up to 90% of cases

• HPV infection - especially high-risk types such as HPV 16, 18

• Chronic inflammation, lichen sclerosus of the genital area

• Poor personal hygiene

• Smoking

Doctor Tam recommends that every man needs to understand his body and listen to unusual signs. Do not be shy or subjective, allowing diseases that can be detected early to become tragedies. Phimosis should be treated early. When there are signs of suspicion, go to a specialized medical facility for examination.

WILLOW

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/co-khoi-sui-nho-10-nam-khong-chua-nay-phat-hien-ung-thu-duong-vat-20250530234826677.htm