Dear Helen,
Cancer is a disease that affects many organs. How does a man get cancer of the penis?- SL Dear SL,
Dear SL,
Rather than reinvent the information, here is what the United Kingdom’s NHS (National Health Service) website says:
“Roughly half of all penile cancers are caused by certain types of a virus called human papillomavirus (HPV)”.
There are different types of HPV and some affect the genital area.
You can get HPV from:
• any skin-to-skin contact of the genital area
• vaginal, anal or oral sex
• sharing sex toys Most people affected by HPV will not
get penile cancer.
Anyone can get penile cancer, but your chances of getting it may be higher if you:
• are over 50
• smoke
• have problems pulling back your
foreskin (the skin covering your penis) to keep your penis clean (a condition called phimosis)
• have or had treatment for psoriasis with medicines called psoralens and an ultraviolet (UVA) light source (called PUVA treatment)
• have a weakened immune system because of a condition like HIV” HPV is incredibly common and there is now a vaccination against several strains of it, which can be given to young men as well as young women.
It protects young women against the most common forms of HPV that are associated with cervical cancers, but also other associated head and neck, as well as genital cancers, in the same way that it protects young men.
I hope this helps. – Helen I hope this helps. – Helen
P.S. for more information, follow this link to the NHS website: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/penilecancer/ causes/
