Health4 min(s) read
Published 14:34 12 May 2026 GMT
A man who had four inches of his penis amputated after being diagnosed with penile cancer has revealed the terrifying symptom that finally pushed him to seek medical help.
Back in 2019, when he was 26 years old, Hamill developed excruciating pain and swelling in his genitals.
However, he was initially reluctant to seek help, telling VT in an exclusive interview: "Because it was in such an intimate area, you don't want to go to the doctor and just whip your willy out. So I just put it off," adding that he "only put it off for a week."
But one symptom in particular made him realize something was seriously wrong, and he had to start seeking help.
Hamill says: “And that's when the bleeding started. So I had my first bleed, that's when I was like, okay, I need to go get this checked now.”
Despite fearing it could be cancer, he was sent home with a topical cream after being told he was “too young” to have penile cancer.
“And I just said, is there any chance it can be penile cancer? Because I've got pretty much all the symptoms,” he recalls. “And [his doctor] looked me in the eye and went, 'Yeah, you've got the symptoms, but you're just too young. So it can't be. I think it's a bad case of ballinitis. Here's some cream. Go home and keep applying it.'”
Hamill said his condition rapidly deteriorated after that appointment, and he started noticing what he described as a "death smell".
“It got worse because then the pain started and then the smell started, like everything just started accelerating,” he explains.
The now 33-year-old said he trusted the doctor’s reassurance at the time because penile cancer is so rare, particularly in younger men.
“Yeah, so it's one in 100,000 men, I think, on the American record,” he says. “But only around, I think it's 700 to 800 men get it in the UK every year. And typically they're over 50 years of age as well.”
Hamill adds: “I was 26, so I'm actually one of the youngest on the planet to survive penile cancer.”
After his symptoms worsened dramatically, including intense pain and severe bleeding, Hamill was rushed to A&E, where doctors diagnosed him with penile cancer. To save his life, surgeons were forced to perform a partial amputation, removing around four inches of his penis.
Hamill has since become incredibly open about his experience online, using social media to raise awareness of penile cancer and encourage others not to ignore symptoms.
He admits that opening up has not always been easy, particularly when it comes to dating and confidence.
“The one big thing about me is... it probably has taken a bit of power away from me,” he says. “Because I know a lot of people say a man isn't their penis, and I get that. And I get everyone's mindset.
“But being a man, and being amputated down there, it does take a piece of you away. Whether that's confidence, whether that's ego... it still has an impact on you.”
Despite the emotional impact, Hamill said women he has dated have generally been understanding about his condition.
“It's been all right,” he said. “Women aren't really that bothered in that sense. I've talked them through it and everyone I've been with... it's never been an issue in reality."
He also revealed he has since fathered a child after the surgery, adding: “I've had my child in the natural way as well.”
After struggling to find support groups with people his own age, Hamill decided to start speaking publicly about penile cancer in the hope of helping others.
He is now planning awareness campaigns and social media stunts to get more people talking about the disease, including a proposed “penis tour” where members of the public would be challenged to guess what type of cancer he had.
“It's one of the reasons why I thought, you know what, I'll just put some videos out there,” he said. “Because the problem when I was going through it... I had no support.”
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