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Predisposing factors

Authoring team

The aetiology is uncertain. Factors associated with the disease include: (1)

  • poor hygiene
  • retention of smegma under the foreskin
  • herpes genitalis
  • smoking (increases the risk four-fold) (2)

Neonatal circumcision has been correlated with much lower rates of penile cancer (1) and it is an excellent prophylactic measure that can virtually eliminate the later development of penile cancer (3).

Patients with a history of phimosis have an increased risk for penile cancer of 25% to 60%, most likely due to the poor genital hygiene associated with this condition. (1)

Reference

  1. Douglawi A, Masterson TA. Penile cancer epidemiology and risk factors: a contemporary review. Curr Opin Urol. 2019 Mar;29(2):145-149
  2. Hernandez BY et al. Burden of invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the penis in the United States, 1998-2003. Cancer. 2008 Nov 15;113(10 Suppl):2883-91
  3. Larke NL, Thomas SL, dos Santos Silva I, Weiss HA. Male circumcision and penile cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Cancer Causes Control. 2011 Aug;22(8):1097-110

 

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