What causes penile cancer?
Scientists currently believe that penile tumors are caused by cancer-producing effects of secretions that become trapped within the foreskin if they are not washed away on a regular basis. It is not surprising, therefore, that this particular malignancy is extraordinarily common in South and Central America, as well as other Third World countries, where public health and personal hygiene often are lacking. Also, circumcision, a practice that could improve hygiene, is not regularly performed. In the United States, penile cancer is a relatively unusual cancer, probably due to the country’s superior sanitary and hygienic conditions along with commonly practiced circumcision. However, scientists are currently studying other causes of penile cancer, particularly the role of human papilloma virus (HPV), which already has strong links to cervical cancer. Antibodies to HPV-16, a specific type of papilloma virus also implicated in cervical cancer, have been found in many patients with penile ca
