I felt a sharp pain and saw a spot similar to a cold sore on my penis – months later it was amputated

SHAUN EVANS noticed a dull pain in his pelvic region.

Months later, he was told to prepare for amputation.

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As his discomfort worsened, he noticed bleeding in the shower and discovered a small, cold sore-like spot at the base of his penis.

Alarmed, he sought help – and in September 2022, months after his first symptoms, the former West Midlands police officer was diagnosed with penile cancer.

What follows is enough to make any man shudder.

But Shaun, 56, is bravely sharing his experience with Sun Health in a bid to help other men avoid suffering his fate.

“I wish I had gone to the doctor when I had a vague feeling of discomfort and I wish I had made more noise,” he says.

“I’m one of the lucky ones, though. I’m still here.”

Although “very rare”, the NHS says there are around 760 cases of penile cancer in the UK every year.

However, this number has increased by 28% compared to cases in the 1990s – and Cancer Research UK predicts the number will reach 1,100 per year by 2040.

Survival rates are high, with 68 percent of men surviving for at least ten years after diagnosis.

But treatment – ​​especially surgery – can be devastating.

Shaun says: “I’m a fussy sunbather, but one day whilst I was washing I started to feel discomfort in my penis.

“The most I can compare it to is a twinge when you run away.”

Throughout the next A few days into June 2022, Shaun went from being uncomfortable to being in pain when sitting.

“Over time it became softer,” he explains.

“I had a heart attack in April and was undergoing cardiac physiotherapy rehabilitation.

‘I felt a burning sensation’

“I went from being able to do all the exercises, like rowing and cycling, to feeling like my penis was affecting how much I could do physically.”

Things went from bad to worse when Shaun realized he was bleeding from his foreskin while showering.

“Then I couldn’t get comfortable, and when I explored a little more, I found something that looked like a cold sore at the base of my penis,” he says.

“I had no idea what it was, but I did the typical man thing: I hoped it would disappear as quickly as it appeared.”

The next day, at his last physio session, Shaun explained what was happening – telling the physio that the pain was preventing him from doing the exercises correctly.

The team suggested he go to an STD clinic and, despite not having been sexually active in years, Shaun did as he was told.

Early symptoms, such as pain, discharge, or a lump or sore, may appear similar to a sexually transmitted infection such as herpes or syphilis.

He says: “The nurse was stunned when she saw what was happening down there.

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“She explained to me that STDs can lie dormant for years and then activate, but that just didn’t ring true.”

Shaun was referred to a specialist urologist, but in August he said he was “in a lot of pain”.

He adds: “I went from walking five miles a night to shuffling my feet as I walked and not being able to find comfort unless I was lying down.

“I was starting to feel a burning sensation when I urinated and the whole area was inflamed.”

At an appointment with a urologist at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton in September 2022, Shaun was left in agony as the doctor examined him.

He was referred to another specialist at Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield – but before his appointment, Shaun noticed an unusual discharge. “I had to keep a cold compress on to try to lessen the pain and dry myself off,” he says.

“I was really starting to worry, so I did what everyone does and went to Google.

“I started to worry that it was cancer because of the things I was reading.

“Meanwhile, the cold sore was becoming more irritated and expanding and the discharge was becoming more unpleasant.”

In September, Shaun received a call from his urology nurse, who delivered the blow that it was penile cancer.

“She said it naturally, as if she were reading it on a computer screen. It was as if I should already know.

“I wasn’t completely shocked, but it was the next day that I really started to understand. It felt surreal.” They told Shaun that doctors would start by circumcising him, in the hope that this would help treat the cancer.

But before he could get the procedure done, things started to get even worse.

“My penis started to swell and the base became very thick,” he says.

‘I knew it needed to be amputated’

“It was so inflamed and I was in bed. It was so sore.

In October, Shaun was forced to call an ambulance, feeling he could no longer stand.

I had no idea what it was, but I did the typical man thing, hoping it would disappear as quickly as it appeared.

Paramedics warned him he could be suffering from sepsis, triggered by his cancerous wound.

“At this point my penis looked like a Doctor Who special effect,” says Shaun.

“It was mahogany in color and if I pressed, the skin remained indented for a long time.”

He was discharged and told to return for an exam the next day. It was while he was in the car on the way, while his cousin was taking him to the hospital, that Shaun had the sensation of being wet.

Shaun was admitted to Heartlands Hospital for ten days while doctors drained the abscess.

“They told me that as soon as I could, I would have surgery,” recalls Shaun.

“They couldn’t say what it would mean for my penis, but at that time it was completely unrecognizable.

‘They served sausages for lunch and I laughed’

“I knew it needed to be amputated – I had a strong sensation and it felt so bad I couldn’t imagine how it could be fixed.

“It felt like it would be a blessed relief if it was because I was in so much pain.”

On December 23, 2022, Shaun had surgery.

“My surgeon said she would have to remove my penis completely, and although I was out of breath, I was so sick I couldn’t even cry,” says Shaun.

“I remember her holding my hand and telling me that she would save as much as she could and do her best.

“Luckily, she said she could save what was inside, all my pipes and pipes, but it was still scary.

‘They served sausages for lunch’

“It was a five-hour surgery and although I didn’t feel any emotions or anything for the first day and a half after surgery, after that I started to feel grateful that I survived.

“It was then that the dark humor came into play.

“I remember they served me sausages for lunch and I laughed a lot and asked if they were going to take the micky.

“All the staff and patients on the ward thought this was very funny.”

The good news was that Shaun’s surgeon was able to remove all of the cancerous tissue.

But in the months following his operation, strange side effects began to emerge.

“I started to suffer from phantom sensations,” he says.

“I read about people who had their leg amputated and suddenly their ankle felt itchy.

“But in the morning I had the feeling that many men have in the morning of having an erection, except I knew I didn’t have a penis. It was a ‘thrilling’ feeling.”

Men tend to be terrible at taking care of their health in general

Shaun will have the opportunity to undergo reconstructive surgery, but doctors have said he will have to wait until he has been cancer-free for five years.

“Although I can’t right now, I still have the plumbing to be able to have children if that happens one day,” he adds.

“I know my story may seem unusual and although penile cancer is rare, two men a day in the UK are diagnosed with it.

“Men tend to be terrible at taking care of their health in general, especially if it has anything to do with plumbing or sexual issues, but it’s very important.

“The survival rate is good for penile cancer, but it still kills.

“I implore anyone – man or woman – who has any kind of pain that could be embarrassing to please go and talk to someone. Your life could depend on it.

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Keep an eye out for lumps, sores and changes in skin color

PENIS cancer is rare and most of the time the symptoms will be a sign of something else.

It is most likely to occur after the age of 50 and around two-thirds of cases are triggered by infection with the HPV virus, which can be contracted through sex.

However, HPV is extremely common and the vast majority of people who carry it will not develop penile cancer.

The main symptoms that something is wrong include:

• A lump or sore that doesn’t heal on its own
• A rash
• Bleeding or smelly discharge
• Difficulty pulling back the foreskin or change in skin color.

Patients may also experience more typical cancer symptoms, such as tiredness, stomach pain and weight loss.

Doctors will likely do a biopsy to confirm the diagnosis and then more scans and scans to decide how to treat it.

Treatment may involve surgery to remove the tumor, use of strong creams, laser treatment, freezing, radiotherapy or chemotherapy.

Operations to remove part or all of the penis are usually a last resort treatment for advanced cases.

There are around 760 cases and 150 deaths each year in the UK due to penile cancer.

The best ways to reduce your risk of penile cancer are to use condoms during vaginal, anal, or oral sex, avoid smoking, and get the HPV vaccine if you are eligible.

Consult your GP if you are concerned.