Symptoms

Main symptoms of penile cancer

Most cancers of the penis affect the skin covering the penis (foreskin), or the head or tip (glans) of the penis.

The most common symptoms are:

Other symptoms of penile cancer include:

Non-urgent advice: See a GP if you have:

  • any changes to how your penis looks
  • discharge or bleeding from your penis
  • any of the other symptoms of penile cancer
  • had treatment for your symptoms that has not helped in the time that it should

Important

Having these symptoms does not definitely mean you have penile cancer. But it's important to get them checked by a GP.

This is because if they're caused by cancer, finding it early can make it more treatable.

What happens at the GP appointment

The GP may examine your penis and ask you to have a blood test.

They'll ask you:

They may refer you to see a specialist in hospital for more tests.

This may be an urgent referral, usually within 2 weeks, if you have certain symptoms. This does not definitely mean you have cancer.

Page last reviewed: 9 March 2021
Next review due: 9 March 2024