Possibly no other form of cancer is more feared or less talked about than penile cancer. A series of paintings and a book published by London artist John D. Edwards is helping change that for the thousands of men diagnosed with the disease each year.

In the early 1990s, Edwards discovered a lump in his groin while taking a bath. In a move that probably saved his life, he went straight to his doctor. A biopsy confirmed he had a malignant tumor in his lymph nodes, but the primary location of his cancer remained a mystery. After undergoing a series of tests to rule out more common cancers, Edwards received a circumcision that revealed a relatively harmless looking rash — it turned out to be the source.

Edwards began an aggressive chemotherapy regimen which included interferon injections that made his all his fingernails fall off. He struggled with describing his condition to his mother and four sisters and discovered even his fellow cancer patients were speechless when they found out he had cancer of the penis. His condition continued to worsen and his doctors proposed a penectomy, but Edwards heard about radiotherapy and opted for the intense radiation treatments instead.

Edwards, now 56, describes the therapy as the most painful experience of his life, but throughout his cancer journey he relied on his sense of humor and his painting to externalize the grief and despair he felt so he could pull through. During his most difficult times his normally colorful cartoon-like depictions turned grey and somber.

One of his darker compositions entitled “Out of this World” would later become a striking cover for his book How Cancer Saved My Life. The book also includes a touching forward by the artist’s friend Sir Peter Blake.

How Cancer Saved My Life chronicles the seven years Edwards spent battling penile cancer. An exhibition of paintings he created during his treatments is currently touring hospitals including the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London (that show runs until March 28, 2008). The artist is happy so many people are finding his works inspiring, but he hopes they’ll also serve as a warning. As he said,

“I was amazed how many men had put up with so much before they went to the doctor. I’d talk to people who had been bleeding when they went to the loo for two years before they did anything about it.”

John D. Edwards
Artist, Author and Cancer Survivor

If you’d like to learn more about penile cancer treatments in the US, you can visit the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center web site.

Source: The Independent (UK)

Related Links: American Cancer Society; Cancer Research UK; belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Related Podcast: Chronicling Cancer, In Graphic Form from NPR

Technorati Tags: coping mechanisms; male cancers; oncology; rare diseases; urethra; urology; reproductive health; Britain; United Kingdom

According to an article published in UroToday, a tissue sparing procedure called Moh’s Micrographic Surgery, or MMS, may help men with certain forms of penile cancer.

MMS, already a proven therapy for some skin cancers, involves intra-operative microscopic examination of sectioned tissue by a specially trained dermatologic surgeon. The surgery maximizes the amount of normal penis tissue preserved while eradicating the malignant tumor, but the method is time intensive and requires close follow-up by an experienced urologist.

Serious complications such as meatal stenosis can occur and the recurrence rate is relatively high, however, long term progression and survival rates were close to those found in patients treated with more aggressive surgical interventions.

Penile cancer is relatively rare in the United States, but it is often lethal because men with the disease frequently refuse conventional treatment methods that require a partial or total penectomy.

The procedure is not recommended for all forms of penile cancer, but it may provide a way for some patients to treat the disease without undergoing the psychological effects associated with penis removal.

Source: UroToday.com

Related Links: Oregon Health and Science University; American Society for Mohs Surgery

Related Podcast: Vaccines: Guidelines for Healthcare Providers – HPV from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Tags: squamous cell carcinoma; urology; urethra; genitourinary