It is every man’s worst nightmare – Your pride and joy falling off
An 85-year-old man from India ignored the painful and pus-filled spot on his penis for over a year before finally seeking medical assistance. The man had developed an ulcer on his balls, had severe swelling on his member and a pus-filled growth on his groin had started to rot from the inside out.
When the man finally sought medical assistance regarding his penis, he was given antibiotics and doctors drained the pus from the growth.
However two weeks later the ulcer became infected and his penis ‘fell off’, leaving the man with a residual bloody stump. Doctors had to operate and insert a catheter so the man could urinate.
Whilst Doctors were unable to re-attach the penis, tests on the stump revealed that the man had a squamous cell carcinoma, which is a type of non-melanoma skin cancer. These types of cancer affect the skin and cause a hard and crusty ‘scab’ that sometimes bleeds. It is believed the man refused to seek medical assistance due to embarrassment about the condition and that he thought the Doctors would think he had a venereal disease.
About Squamous Cell Carcinoma:
A Squamous Cell Carcinoma is the second most common type of skin cancer. The skin cancer causes the abnormal and excessive growth of cells in the outer layers of the skin. Initial stages of the cancer appear like red angry patches of flaky skin or warts with a crust. The cancer is believed to be caused by excess exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma can appear on any part of the body but is most commonly found on the nose and genitals.
The man remained in hospital, and then palliative care following his surgery, however, he died 15 days later.
It is believed that if the man sought medical help early on detection of the squamous cell carcinoma, it may have been treatable.
Despite the amusing headline, it is a real fact that men are less likely to visit the doctor for a check up. Please, encourage the men in your life to see a doctor if they think something is wrong with their physical or mental health. You can find more information on men’s health here.