"It's something you never imagine will happen to you," says João, 63, who under went a partial amputation.

…

Between 2012 and 2022, there were 21,000 reported cases, according to Brazil’s Ministry of Health. This resulted in more than 4,000 deaths and, over the past decade, there have been more than 6,500 amputations - averaging two each day.

Maranhão, the poorest state in Brazil, was found to have the highest incidence rate globally at 6.1 per 100,000 men.

Symptoms of penile cancer often start with a sore on the penis that does not heal and a strong-smelling discharge. Some people get bleeding and colour changes of the penis, too.

When detected early, there is a high chance of recovery through treatments such as the surgical removal of the lesion, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

But if left untreated, partial or total amputation of the penis, and possibly other nearby genital organs such as the testicles, may become necessary.

  • Drusas
    15•5 months ago

    I am curious what a “partial penis amputation” involves.

        • Flying SquidMEnglish
          6•5 months ago

          I’ve had multiple nightmares where it just comes off in my hand. Not the whole thing, “just the tip.”

          I don’t think it’s a ‘loss of masculinity’ thing, it’s more about something dreadful very suddenly happening to my body that I can’t undo.

          • Ms. ArmoredThirteenEnglish
            6•5 months ago

            So I’m trans and find this pretty interesting. I used to have euphoria dreams where it would come off entirely. Now I’m newly post op and I’m having the occasional nightmares where it’s come back or worse, I start like disentigrating from inside and things fall out of me. Body horror dreams are wild

              • Ms. ArmoredThirteenEnglish
                5•5 months ago

                That’s actually one of the reasons I stopped smoking. I normally lucid dream almost every night and wanted that back so I mostly quit weed

              • Flying SquidMEnglish
                3•5 months ago

                Weed does not make my dreams go away.

          • @[email protected]English
            3•5 months ago

            Welp, I’m going to bed now. Would be interesting to have an amputation in a dream. Let’s see

    • @DkarmaEnglish
      9•5 months ago

      Cancer Grows at the tip they snip a bit. Grows at the base they take the most of it.

      • GhostalmediaEnglish
        8•5 months ago

        A reference that no one under 40 will get.

        • @FrozengyroEnglish
          4•5 months ago

          As a 32YO, I get that reference! I think Lorena Bobbit is still pretty well known.

          • @disguy_ovaheaEnglish
            4•5 months ago

            John Bobbitt somehow turned that into a low-quality porn career.

          • GhostalmediaEnglish
            2•5 months ago

            I guess talk show hosts did get about a decade out of that dick joke.

        • ASeriesOfPoorChoicesEnglish
          1•5 months ago

          for funsies, look up the “bobbit worm”. It’s a marine worm that hunts fish.

          then, check out its scientific name. It’s a worthy surprise.