Prophylaxis of penile carcinoma

Prophylactic neonatal surgery and infectious diseases

Infections worldwide are the primary cause of morbidity and mortality today. The need for prevention is essential. Prophylactic surgery with the reduction of infectious disease has been available for many millennia, but its recognition has been questionably accepted. This article presents evidence of former times when circumcision was performed in the ancient Egyptian, Coptic and Ethiopian cultures, probably as a therapeutic measure to combat the ravages of schistosomal infectious symptomatology. How this health measure was converted to a religious rite and the confusion caused by this misunderstanding is fully explored. The association of an operative procedure as a religious ritual among Jews, and Christian Biblical ambiguity toward it, has further clouded the issue. Neonatal circumcision has been perpetuated in many societies and cultures, not because of the Jews and their Covenant of Circumcision, but because of its merit as a secular surgical prophylactic health measure. This article explores an interesting issue from its beginning to contemporary research and findings that justify the procedure as a viable option in maintaining and promoting quality genital health care for males of all ages.

A perspective on controversies over neonatal circumcision

Controversy continues to surround the issue of male circumcision, especially in the United States. The following report reviews the history of this practice, along with the medical and sociopolitical positions currently espoused. It is our conclusion that, as the safest and most commonly performed surgical procedure in this country, the benefits of posthetomy, which include a reduction in some kinds of cancer and sexually transmitted diseases, well outweigh the risks cited by those who oppose it.

Cutaneous horn of the penis: its association with squamous cell carcinoma and HPV-16 infection

Cutaneous horns of the penis are rare. Including this case, only 19 cases have been reported in the English-language literature. In 37% of the reported cases a malignant tumor was found beneath the cutaneous horn. Our case is remarkable because a stage I squamous cell carcinoma developed on the shaft of the penis of a neonatally circumcised man. Human genital carcinoma resulting from a multifactorial process in which "promoting" papillomavirus is an integral element is being increasingly reported. We review the relationship of circumcision to genital human papillomavirus infection and their synergism in the development of squamous cell carcinoma.

Câncer do pênis: estudo da sua patologia geográfica no Estado da Bahia, Brasil

Foram estudados 811 pacientes com o diagnóstico histológico de câncer do pênis, procedentes do Estado da Bahia, Brasil, entre 1952 e 1983. Cinqüenta por cento dos pacientes tinham entre 46 e 61 anos de idade. Cerca de 80% de todos os pacientes eram procedentes das regiões interioranas do Estado. A mesorregião do Leste Baiano foi a que apresentou freqüência mais elevada, principalmente as microrregiões do Recôncavo Baiano, Jequié, Feira de Santana e Serrinha. O lapso de tempo entre o aparecimentos da primeira lesão e o diagnóstico foi maior do que três meses em mais de 80% dos casos. Fimose foi a principal condição associada, estando presente em 63% dos casos. A prática sistemática da circuncisão na infância é meio eficaz de prevenção da doença, e deve ser estimulada.