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Cancer - penis - Overview

Alternative Names

Penile cancer; Squamous cell cancer - penis

Definition of Cancer - penis:

Cancer of the penis is cancer that starts in the penis, an organ that makes up part of the male reproductive system.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

The exact cause is unknown.

Smegma, a cheese-like, foul-smelling substance found under the foreskin of the penis may increase the risk of penis cancer.

Uncircumcised men who do not keep the area under the foreskin clean and men with a history of genital warts or human papillomavirus (HPV) are at higher risk for this rare disorder.

Male reproductive anatomy

Male reproductive system

Reviewed last on: 11/10/2008
David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and James R. Mason, MD, Oncologist, Director, Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program and Stem Cell Processing Lab, Scripps Clinic, Torrey Pines, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Pettaway CA, Lynch DF, Davis JW. Tumors of the penis. In: Wein AJ, ed. Campbell-Walsh Urology. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 31.

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