Does Circumcision Prevent Penile Cancer?

Question: Does circumcision prevent penile cancer?

Answer: No, circumcision does not prevent penile cancer.

Cancer doesn’t discriminate based on circumcision status. If you’re going to get cancer, you’re going to get it. Why would a foreskin matter to cancer?

There is one argument which claims if you’re circumcised, you have less skin on your penis, therefore you have a smaller area of skin to get the penile cancer.

That doesn’t really add up though. The only way to prevent cancer pro-actively is to remove the organ completely. This is why some women who are high risk for breast cancer get a mastectomy.

So if this logic applied to men, they would have to remove the penis completely. Cut the penis off, then you won’t have to worry about penile cancer.

I think we can all agree nobody wants that. That leaves us with circumcision, which removes the outer layer of skin from the penis. The problem is cancer grows from the inside out, so it’s going to grow from inside the penis. Circumcision won’t prevent this, and you’ll still have an equal chance of developing penile cancer. This is why circumcision is not a reasonable method for preventing penile cancer.

Last but not least, let’s remember that penile cancer is one of the rarest forms of cancer. Only 1 in 1,000 men are at risk. If your cancer is stopped in stage I or stage II, before it spreads to larger parts of the body, your survival rate is 85%.

My advice is to enjoy your foreskin, remain intact (uncircumcised), and don’t worry about penile cancer. The chances of developing this type of cancer are extremely rare, and if you ever do develop it, your chances of survival are extremely high.

Good luck and good health to you!

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