Symptoms of Penile Cancer
Penile cancer often presents as a sore on the penis with bleeding and discharge.
Symptoms of penile cancer include:
- A visible or palpable mass on the penis which may ulcerate
- Associated with pain, discharge, bleeding or foul odor
The symptoms of penile cancer may resemble those of sexually transmitted diseases, which may be a reason for a delay in seeking treatment.
Penile cancer is classified into different stages depending on the degree of spread. These stages are divided between stages 0 to IV. Stage 0 is a stage where the cancer is extremely localized. As the cancer advances, it spreads to the connective tissue of the penis, and later lymph nodes of the groin. The erectile tissues, urethra and prostate may also be affected. Stage IV may see the spread of cancer to the neighboring tissues, lymph nodes of the groin or pelvis, and even to distant sites.
