Cancer - the very word cancer gives some people a weak feeling in the knees. Why? The survival rates for most cancer is not very good. Most people today are more than aware of this and thus the fear associated with the term cancer.

Penile cancer is the topic of this article. Cancer of the penis is something that most men do not wish to think about much less discuss. Unfortunately, it does exist and there are specific causes that lead to it. If the reader wishes to investigate the several causes of penile cancer they can enter the term into any search engine of their choice.

The causative factor for penile cancer that we are concentrating on for this article is smokeless tobacco. Tobacco plays a very important role in squamous cell cancer of the penis. Chewing tobacco or using dry or moist snuff.

Just how important a role does smokeless tobacco play in the development of penile cancer? One study has shown that 34% of tobacco chewers as compared to those who do not use tobacco in a controlled study developed penile cancer. This percentage was over twice the percentage for those who do not use tobacco.

All forms of tobacco use have been shown to significantly increase the incidence of penile cancer [BRITISH JOURNAL OF UROLOGY (London), Volume 75, Number 3: Pages 375-377, March 1995].

Let us cover a general examination of the role tobacco use in any form contributes to the susceptibility to penile cancer. Penile cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the penis. Anything that increases your chance of getting a disease is called a risk factor.

Risk factors of tobacco use in any form in developing penile cancer.

The penis is a rod-shaped male reproductive organ. Sperm and urine pass from the body through the penis. It contains two types of erectile tissue (spongy tissue with blood vessels that fill with blood to make an erection):

1) Corpora cavernosa: The two columns of erectile tissue that form most of the penis.

2) Corpus spongiosum: The single column of erectile tissue that forms a small portion of the penis. The corpus spongiosum surrounds the urethra (the tube through which urine and sperm pass from the body).

The erectile tissue is wrapped in connective tissue and covered with skin. The glans (head of the penis) is covered with loose skin called the foreskin.

There are several factors that can cause penile cancer but the focus of this article is that of tobacco use in any form.

Possible signs of penile cancer include:

!) sores

2) discharge

3) bleeding.

These and other symptoms may be caused by penile cancer. Other conditions may cause the same symptoms. A doctor should be consulted if any of the following problems occur:

1) Redness

2) irritation

3) a sore on the penis.

4) a lump on the penis

The following tests that examine the penis are used to detect and diagnose penile cancer:

1) Physical exam and history: An exam of the body to check general signs of health, including checking the penis for signs of disease, such as lumps or anything else that seems unusual.

2) A history of the patient's health habits and past illnesses and treatments will also be taken.

3) Biopsy: The removal of cells or tissues so they can be viewed under a microscope by a pathologist to check for signs of cancer

The chance of recovery and treatment options depend on the following:

1) The stage of the cancer.

2) The location and size of the tumor.

3) Whether the cancer has just been diagnosed or has come back.

Anyone who desires further information of the dangers of smokeless tobacco and the effects it has on the human body can review a FREE eBook on the subject at the following link:

"Stop Using Smokeless Tobacco Now!"

In summary, the use of tobacco in any form is a risk factor for penile carcinoma. Tobacco may exert its action through its metabolites, or directly after systemic absorption. Use of more than one form of tobacco multiplies the risk of development of penile carcinoma.