A DAD claims his manhood was left looking like "Frankenstein's face" after what he feared was an STI turned out to be penis cancer.
James Garfield first noticed a small red pimple on the shaft of his pecker, but it quickly developed into a 1p-sized patch of itchy, oozing skin.
He worried he may have picked up an STI from a toilet seat – which is almost impossible – or that his wife had been unfaithful, so visited a sexual health clinic.
There, a doctor said he was "90 per cent sure" it was cancerous.
James said: "It was such a relief that it wasn't an STI.
"I'd spent time researching, 'How have I caught this?' because it wasn't something I'd picked up in the traditional way as I'm committed to my wife."
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The 48-year-old, who previously suffered with a tight foreskin condition called phimosis, underwent circumcision in March 2020.
A growth was removed, a biopsy taken, and he was given a chemo cream to apply.
The warehouse operative continued with his life as normal until, in December 2022, he started feeling lethargic.
He was also suffering with pain in his groin and noticed discoloration on his penis, so went back to his GP to get it checked out.
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He said: "I was feeling really down, really low on energy and I had this pain in my hip and groin area.
"I had this nagging thought in my head, 'Has something not been picked up on? Am I going to die of cancer now?'."
A second biopsy in January 2023 revealed that James, who is married to 43-year-old care assistant Siobhan Garfield, had penile intraepithelial neoplasia (PeIN) – a rare, pre-cancerous disease on the outer skin layer.
"My wife was upset, while I was quite blasé about it," he said.
"I was fast-tracked because it's a rare cancer and I'm under 50.
"I was told that it was a quick-moving cancer but it was operable.
"There was no feeling of dread. Death doesn't frighten me – when I'm dead I'm dead."
In April, he had a glansectomy – a procedure that removes tissue containing cancerous cells – and had a skin graft from his thigh attached to the area.
Six weeks on, James, says it's a "miracle" he's healed so well.
When I first looked at it [after the op] I went 'oh dear'. It looked like Frankenstein's face.
The dad, from Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, said: "When I first looked at it [after the op] I went 'oh dear'.
"It looked like Frankenstein's face. I didn't know whether to call it Leatherface.
"But now it's healed, it's like a miracle."
James now faces an anxious wait to see if the cancer has spread into his lymph nodes and if further surgery is required.
The dad-of-four is sharing his ordeal to encourage blokes to regularly check themselves and get anything unusual investigated by a doctor.
James said: "As soon as you get past what it is [penis cancer] and what it means to a man – virility and stuff like that – it's just a body part.
"The healthcare I've been given has been absolutely tremendous and speedy.
"My advice to blokes is, if you find something that you don't think is right, get it checked out.
"I was very lucky that the guy that I saw had seen this before [and knew what it was].
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"Say I'd left it another year, that year could possibly have been my last because it would get into the lymph nodes in the groin area.
"If you're not happy with what you've been told, get it checked out again."
What is penile cancer and PeIN?
PENILE cancer is a rare cancer that mostly affects the skin of the penis and the foreskin.
It happens when abnormal penile cells grow in an uncontrolled way.
Around 700 men are diagnosed with penile cancer each year in the UK. Most of them are over the age of 50.
The most common symptoms include:
- A growth or sore on your penis
- Bleeding from your penis
- A foul smelling discharge
- A rash on your penis
- Difficulty in drawing back your foreskin (phimosis)
- A change in the colour of your penis or foreskin
More unusual signs include a lump in the groin, feeling tired, abdominal pain, pain in the bones and weight loss.
Treatment for most penile cancers caught very early include creams and laser therapy. If not, treatment may mean surgery.
Roughly half of all penile cancers are caused by certain types of a virus called human papillomavirus (HPV).
You might also be more likely to get penile cancer if you are over 50, smoke and have problems pulling back your foreskin.
Penile intraepithelial neoplasia (PeIN) is a pre-cancerous disease, or premalignant lesion, of the outer skin layer of the penis.
Source: NHS and Cancer Research UK
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