Man, 26, who had four inches of his penis amputated recalls moment he was finally diagnosed with cancer
A man has opened up about living with a health condition that affects hundreds of people every year, resulting in him having four inches amputated from his penis.
Steven Hamill was 26 years old when he was diagnosed with penile cancer back in 2019.
He was rushed to A&E after he developed swelling in his groin, before passing out and waking up in a pool of his own blood.
At the hospital, Steven was diagnosed with penile cancer, and underwent emergency surgery to remove the tumor.
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The life-saving procedure involved amputating four inches from his penis, and he is now in remission.
Steven opened up about his diagnosis during a recent appearance on ITV's This Morning, saying: "I woke up one morning and as every man does they'll go for their morning wee, and I looked down, it was very swollen, and instantly I didn't really know what was going on.
"As a 26-year-old man it was very 'hmm what's this', so I did what every guy would probably do - ignore it [and] hope it goes away itself."
'Something isn't right'
He went on to describe how he had been making a cup of tea one morning when he 'felt something wet' in his groin, and was shocked when he realized that he was bleeding and there was 'blood everywhere'.
Steven shouted for his partner, who asked if he had a nosebleed, and he said this was when he decided he had to get it checked out.
At the time, he recalled that he didn't even know what penile cancer was, all he knew was that 'something isn't right'.
When he first saw the doctor, Steven was told that penile cancer mostly affects older patients, meaning people in their 60s or older.
The American Cancer Society states that the disease is diagnosed in fewer than one in 100,000 American men each year. However, the organization estimates that around 2,260 new penile cancer cases will be diagnosed in 2026.
'I just passed out'
Steven told how the doctor had listed the symptoms, which had matched his own, but apparently said: "But it can't be penile cancer, you're 26, it only affects men over 50."
Initially, the medic had thought it was a severe case of balanitis, a health condition which is a bacterial infection which can cause the penis to become swollen and sore.
For around three weeks, Steven applied the cream he had been given, but then started experiencing severe pain, describing it as 'if I had a needle and I was just poking the head consistently every second', adding that 'there was no respite'.
"I was just living life like that putting this cream on hoping it would get better," he said.
Steven went on to describe how he passed out around a month later.
"I was in my brother's car in Morrisons' car park when the big one happened. I just passed out," he continued.
When he went to the emergency room, Steven even said that he was given an appointment but was determined to go to his sister's wedding first, wearing an adult diaper to contain the bleeding.
Finally, he knew something was very wrong when he saw that the nurse at his urologist appointment had a lanyard for Macmillan Cancer Support.
Fortunately, after the diagnosis his surgery was a success and Steven is now in remission.
What are the symptoms of penile cancer?
According to the NHS, most cases of the disease 'affect the skin covering the penis (foreskin), or the head or tip (glans) of the penis'.
The most common symptoms of penile cancer include:
- A growth, lump or sore that does not heal within four weeks
- A rash
- Bleeding
- Smelly discharge
- Having difficulty pulling back your foreskin
- Unexplained skin color changes
Meanwhile, other symptoms can include:
- Lump in the groin
- Tiredness
- Pain in the tummy
- Losing weight without trying
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the American Cancer Society on 1-800-227-2345 or via their live chat feature, available 24/7 every day of the year.
Kit Roberts