2024-02-02 03:59:29
The low incidence of penile cancer results in little information regarding this condition. According to the WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer, only 696 new cases of this disease were diagnosed in Mexico in 2020.
“We have poor records because it is a rare condition. In Mexico, institutes or large hospitals register three to five cases per month and of these, one is operated on per month or every two months. Not all patients are candidates for treatment because they arrive in advanced stages due to the characteristics of the disease, which is very aggressive and complex,” explained Román Romero Villegas, surgeon, urologist and academic at the Zaragoza Faculty of Higher Studies.
According to the university student, penile cancer has a strong association with the presence of viruses, especially HPV (human papillomavirus), but it cannot be said that this is the main cause, since smoking and poor hygiene uncircumcised patients are the main risk factors.
Having been with multiple unprotected sexual partners also plays a role. “Man always suffers from sexually transmitted infections or infections associated with his penis, especially during youth. Most of the time, these lesions disappear in less than a week with antibiotics or anti-inflammatory drugs. In the case of penile cancer, this is not the case, since these lesions are recurrent despite treatments and that should be taken as a warning sign,” he said.
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According to Romero Villegas, the condition usually occurs in men who are around 60 years old, who mostly go to the doctor, with the disease already in advanced stages because they did not go to specialists before due to social and cultural stigmas.
“We are still without education. We do not have the culture of checking ourselves, exploring ourselves or notifying those close to us that something is happening to us. It is a matter of ignorance, in addition to the fact that the Mexican is macho and thinks that it is normal or that he will heal by miracle, but that is not the case.
According to the academic, penile cancer is lethal and although there are treatments such as timely amputation, there is always the possibility that, following the intervention, the disease returns. Other surgical techniques are less effective and present complications that give patients a poor quality of life.
“This is a very invasive option. When patients hear that they will have a partial or total penectomy, they often say, no, I don’t want treatment and abandon treatment. This quickly leads to aggravation and death.”
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Given this scenario, the urologist recommends above all self-examination, which is not exclusive to one gender. We must know and recognize when something is wrong in the body and make it clear to minors that bleeding or having annoying injuries is not normal.
“Whenever you see a lesion that is not right, that something is modified in your urinary or sexual function, you must go for an evaluation with a specialist. Doing so will prevent cancer in advanced stages,” said the doctor, and stressed the crucial importance of not ignoring any symptoms or waiting for bleeding or dysfunction.
“Many times, when subjects decide to seek treatment, months or years have already passed and it is too late,” he warned.
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