A 49-year-old man has bravely shared his battle with an exceptionally rare form of cancer that required the removal of a third of his penis. Alastair Munro, from Inverness, Scotland, will appear on BBC2’s Surgeons: At The Edge Of Life tonight, May 6, to discuss his life-saving treatment.
A Lump That Changed Everything
Munro first noticed a small lump on the tip of his penis that gradually grew larger. Approximately six weeks after its appearance, he consulted his GP. Tests confirmed penile cancer, leading to a seven-hour operation at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh. Surgeons removed the tumor along with lymph nodes in his groin. A second operation six weeks later excised additional cancerous tissue. Medical teams reconstructed his penis using skin grafts from his thigh.
“I want to get the message across that if anyone notices there is something wrong in the penis or testicle area, like a spot or a lump, or they have problems urinating, they should never be embarrassed and should go to the GP straight away,” Munro said.
Rare Cancer, Vital Awareness
Penile cancer affects only about 700 men annually in Britain, making it extremely rare. Munro, a civil engineer, credits his surgeon and the NHS for saving his life. “I think cancer is a horrible disease, often with no symptoms and so difficult to detect but I am only alive today due to my brilliant surgeon and the NHS - and the fact that I managed to spot something was wrong before it was too late,” he explained.
He decided to participate in the BBC Scotland series to raise awareness. “Penile cancer is incredibly rare and so little is generally known about it that I decided to take part in the BBC Scotland series which follows the whole story.”
Support and Fundraising
Munro received the all-clear in February and plans further plastic surgery later this year. His best friend Richard Selvester, who appears alongside him on the show, has been a pillar of support. Together, they are raising funds for Orchid, a male cancer charity.
“If one person watches the programme, and realises that there is something wrong or not quite right with them in the ‘downstairs’ area, and then decides to go to his GP then Richard and I will have achieved our target,” Munro said.
Selvester added: “We’re lifelong friends and it’s been amazing seeing him contend with so many traumas at once. As he was preparing for the first operation back in 2024, his mother died. We had just met with the BBC at Kingussie Golf Club to talk about how scary it all was, with all our cards on the table, nothing being held back when his mother died of cancer.”
“Alastair has had a terrible time but nothing deterred him, though, in his battle with the disease and in the knowledge that it would ultimately be shared with millions of TV viewers. He is a remarkable guy and it’s wonderful to see him approaching his 50th birthday now as he gets the story across to the public, just as he wanted.”
Graphic but Important
The episode documents the entire surgical procedure and recovery. “They filmed the whole procedure and all the rest of it. And then after the recovery period they came back to the golf club and filmed us again. Earlier this year they showed us the whole episode. It’s quite graphic,” Munro noted.
Consultant urological surgeon CJ Shukla, who led the surgical team, also appears in the program. The aim is to educate the public about this rare cancer and encourage early detection.
