A 54-year-old man from Bristol has had his penis amputated after his cancer was initially misdiagnosed as a rash by his GP. Neil Walker, a former firefighter and father of two, was told not to worry by his doctor but insisted on further tests when the rash did not clear up.
Mr Walker was diagnosed with cancer in November 2014. He first had the tip of his penis removed and replaced with skin from his leg. However, the cancer returned, and in March he underwent surgery to have the entire organ removed. He now urinates through a hole behind his testicles and cannot have reconstructive surgery due to insufficient remaining tissue.
“I have been left feeling completely de-masculinised and I know that if I had caught the cancer sooner I'd still have my manhood,” Mr Walker said. He also had lymph nodes removed from his groin, suffered sepsis four times in a year, and lost his sight in both eyes due to complications from cancer medication.
Mr Walker is urging other men not to be embarrassed about genital problems and to seek specialist help promptly. “It could be the difference between saving or losing your genitals,” he said. “If I had seen a specialist faster, there could have been a chance that I wouldn't have lost my penis.”
