Men with a certain penile-curving condition have a significantly higher risk of certain cancers , according to a new Baylor College of Medicine study presented at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, based on the results of a million and a half of patients.
Specifically, the risk of malignant tumor rises by 40% in cases of testicular and stomach cancer; and it is 29% higher in melanoma in men with this condition, commonly known as a twisted penis, bent penis, or curved penis.
What is the relationship? It is not clear. But, as the researchers suggest, the same gene that determines this curvature of the penis could also regulate the development of certain tumors.
We are talking, however, of a curvature with its own name. It is called Peyronie’s syndrome , by which fibrous structures are formed inside the corpora cavernosa of the penis, causing this characteristic curvature during erection. It affects approximately 7% of men
A condition that, although it may seem like a simple physical abnormality, may be symptomatic of a more serious problem.
The researchers started from a genetic analysis of a father and his son , both with Peyronie’s syndrome: they discovered that both shared genes that made them more predisposed to suffer these three types of cancer: testicular, stomach and melanoma.
This same relationship was observed in a later detailed study, which included 1.5 million men.
The results are alarming enough that the team of researchers has recommended increasing screening for these three types of cancer (testicular, stomach and melanoma) in men with curved penis.
“Although the data have no influence on the sexual and reproductive lives of these patients, they should be monitored for risk of more serious disorders, in contrast to the rest of the population,” according to Dr. Alexander Pastuszak, principal investigator. ” No one has made an association like this until now. “
Although, for scientists, the relationship between the curvature of the penis and the increased incidence of cancer is clear , the causes of this syndrome, or why it is a risk factor for cancer, are still not well understood. However, researchers are confident that it shares genetic pathways with at least these three types of tumors.
Precisely for this reason, the researchers encourage increasing specific screening programs in men with this characteristic, since doing so would provide extra data and would allow to reaffirm or refute the study’s conclusions.
Expanding on data from the study, the penile curvature or Peyronie’s syndrome also shares a molecular pathway with Dupurytren’s disease , a deformity of the hand; and also with lead disease , a thickening of the tissue of the feet.
According to researchers at Istanbul University, Peyronie is believed to affect 7.1% of men, but the actual prevalence of the disease may be higher because patients are likely reluctant to report this ” embarrassing” condition. your doctor.
Although, given the results of the Baylor College of Medicine, it is important that men who possess this characteristic attend periodic check-ups with the urologist without hesitation.
