Penile cancer generated more than 7,000 amputations in 14 years

Every year, on average, 510 men have their penis amputated because of organ cancer. The disease, in the last 14 years, has led 7,186 people to have their limb removed.

Most of the time, the part that is left over from the amputation allows the patient to urinate standing up, but makes penetration difficult, which generates several psychological and emotional problems. In Bahia, urologist Ubirajara Barroso has performed penis reconstruction surgeries that can bring back the self-esteem of these men.

So far there have been four operations involving different cases: one patient lost the organ after being attacked by a dog, another due to self-mutilation, a third had a micropenis and the last one had to amputate the limb because of cancer at the site.

The doctor, who is also director of the Escola Superior de Urologia of the Brazilian Society of Urology, explains that almost half of the penis is inside the body, and a significant portion is attached to the pelvic bone. The technique used by him removes the two cavernous bodies, which go to each side of the pelvis, leaving the limb supported by veins, arteries and the nerve, which will be important for erectile stimulation.

“This entire bundle, both nervous and vascular, is preserved, and the penis gains mobility. From there, we perform plastic surgery techniques to cover it with skin, because the skin is also amputated.”

The surgery lasts about 7 hours and requires a lot of attention, since an injury to the vascular and nerve bundles can lead to the loss of the organ. After the operation, the patient is released for any activity in one month and, in three, for sexual intercourse.

The technique, says Barroso, was well received by the national medical community, and the objective now is to present it at conferences outside the country, as well as to publish it in journals in the area.

The surgery caused some organs to double in size, or even triple. The urologist cites the case of a man’s penis, completely amputated, which was 8 cm after reconstruction – the member can penetrate from 7 cm.

Barroso points out that the procedure is not suitable for anyone who wants to enlarge their penis. He recalls that the surgery is risky and intended only for those who have a micropenis or the amputated organ.

The queue in Bahia of patients waiting for penile reconstruction, of amputees because of cancer in the organ, has more than 300 registered – the doctor’s goal is to do at least one surgery per month.

The numbers of amputations have decreased in the last two years, possibly as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Many people stopped looking for doctors for fear of contamination, as well as many hospital centers turned their efforts to the health crisis.

How to prevent penile cancer

Hygiene on the spot is the number one expert advice for preventing penile cancer. And there is no need for large investments, since soap and water solve the issue. The orientation is, during the bath, to pull the skin until the head of the organ is exposed, clean with water and soap, rinse well, dry and put the foreskin back in place.

It is necessary to be careful when drying the penis, both after the bath and after urinating and ejaculating, so that the place does not remain wet for a long time. If the organ is no longer in a normally ventilated environment, imagine the part covered by skin?

Doctors also recommend keeping up to date the vaccination against HPV (Human Papillomavirus), available in the SUS for boys aged 11 to 14 years and girls aged 9 to 14 years, and using condoms during sexual intercourse.

It is also necessary to keep an eye on that skin that is around the head of the penis, the phimosis. The warning sign needs to be lit when the man cannot pull the skin covering the glans, which does not leave it exposed, or when he has the feeling that the organ is being crushed.

Brazil has, annually, an average of 400 deaths from penile cancer, and about 500 new diagnoses.