A man has spoken candidly about a rare but serious condition that sees hundreds of new cases each year, after it led to surgeons amputating four inches of his penis.
Steven Hamill was 26 when he received a penile cancer diagnosis in 2019.
He was taken to A&E after developing swelling in his groin, before collapsing and later coming round to find himself lying in a pool of blood.
Doctors at hospital confirmed he had penile cancer, and he was taken in for urgent surgery to remove the tumour.
The operation ultimately saved his life, but it involved removing four inches of his penis. Steven is now in remission.
Steven discussed his experience on Good Morning Britain, saying: “I woke up one morning and as every man does they’ll go for their morning wee, and I looked down, it was very swollen, and instantly I didn’t really know what was going on.
“As a 26-year-old man it was very ‘hmm what’s this’, so I did what every guy would probably do – ignore it [and] hope it goes away itself.”
He later recalled making a cup of tea when he suddenly noticed moisture in his groin area, only to realise he was bleeding heavily and that there was “blood everywhere”.
Steven called to his partner, who initially wondered whether he had a nosebleed — and it was then he decided he couldn’t put off getting medical help.
At that point, he said he didn’t even know penile cancer existed; he just knew something felt seriously wrong.
When he first visited a doctor, Steven was told the disease is far more common in older men, typically those aged in their 60s and above.
He said the doctor went through symptoms that aligned with what he was experiencing, but added: “But it can’t be penile cancer, you’re 26 it only affects men over 50.”
Initially, the issue was believed to be a severe case of balanitis — a bacterial infection that can cause swelling and soreness.
Steven followed the prescribed treatment for around three weeks, but his condition deteriorated and the pain became intense. He described it as ‘if I had a needle and I was just poking the head consistently every second’, saying ‘there was no respite’.
“I was just living life like that putting this cream on hoping it would get better.”
About a month later, he said he collapsed.
“I was in my brother’s car in Morrisons’ car park when the big one happened. I just passed out.”
Even after going to A&E, Steven said he was given an appointment but chose to attend his sister’s wedding first, using an adult diaper to manage the bleeding.
He explained that things became undeniably serious when he attended a urology appointment and noticed the nurse had a Macmillan Cancer Support lanyard.
After being diagnosed, Steven underwent the surgery that removed the tumour, and he has since gone into remission.