But Brazil is not the only place where penile cancer rates are increasing. Recent studies show that cases are increasing worldwide.
In 2022, the journal JMIR Public Health and Surveillance published the results of a large-scale analysis that included up-to-date data from 43 countries.
From 2008 to 2012, the country with the highest incidence of penile cancer was Uganda (2.2 per 100,000 people), followed by Brazil (2.1 per 100,000 people) and Thailand (1.4 per 100,000 people). Kuwait (0.1 per 100,000) had the lowest.
“Penile cancer incidence and mortality rates are still higher in developing countries, but incidence rates are increasing in most European countries,” the research team led by Leiwen Fu and Tian Tian of Sun Yat-Sen University in China said.
In the UK, the incidence of penile cancer increased from 1.1 to 1.3 per 100,000 between 1979 and 2009, and in Germany, it increased by 50% between 1961 and 2012, from 1.2 to 1.8 per 100,000.
This number is expected to rise, according to the Global Cancer Registries forecasting tool. It is estimated that by 2050, the global incidence of penile cancer will increase by more than 77%.
This change is largely due to the aging population, with experts saying the incidence is highest among men in their 60s.
“Penile cancer is a rare disease, but it is also highly preventable,” says Dr. Cordeiro.
He advised that using condoms during sexual intercourse and undergoing surgery to remove the foreskin if phimosis is present can help reduce the risk of developing penile cancer.
Neil Barber, Clinical Director of Urology at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, adds: “Penile cancer is virtually unheard of in the circumcised population. Maintaining good hygiene is a risk factor, as are poor hygiene and infections under the foreskin, and phimosis, which makes it difficult to retract the foreskin. This puts you at a higher overall risk of infection. It's high.”
“Established risk factors also include unprotected sex, especially sex without condoms, and poor hygiene further increases risk through this route.”
João is currently waiting for his latest test results, which he will receive later this year. “I am confident that this test will show that I can be cured,” he says.
“Now that I have had the amputation, the pain is gone and I feel much better. But I will have to live with a partially amputated penis for the rest of my life.”
According to Cancer Research UK, OutMore than 90% of men diagnosed with penile cancer that has not spread to nearby lymph nodes survive for more than five years.
Additional reporting: Rone Carvalho, BBC Brasil
