Diagnosing
Screening means testing people for early stages of a disease. This is before they have any symptoms. For screening to be useful the tests:
need to be reliable at picking up cancers
overall must do more good than harm to people taking part
must be something that people are willing to do
Screening tests are not perfect and have some risks. The screening programme should also be good value for money for the NHS.
Find out more about screening for cancer
There is no national screening programme because:
penile cancer is rare, so many people would have unnecessary tests
the benefits don't outweigh the costs
Talk to your GP if you think you are at increased risk of penile cancer or are worried about symptoms.
Last reviewed: 18 Dec 2023
Next review due: 18 Dec 2026
Symptoms of penile cancer can include a growth or sore on your penis, bleeding or a foul smelling discharge.
One of the first tests for penile cancer is a biopsy. Find out more about tests for penile cancer.
The stage, type and grade of your cancer helps your doctor decide which treatment you need.
Treatments for penile cancer include surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The treatment you have depends on the stage and type of your penile cancer.
Penile cancer is cancer of the penis. It can develop anywhere on the penis but is most common under the foreskin in men who haven’t been circumcised or on the head of the penis (the glans).
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