Health3 min(s) read
Published 10:30 27 Apr 2026 GMT
A man has shared his experience of a rare and serious illness that ultimately led to part of his penis being amputated.
Steven Hamill was just 26 when he was diagnosed with penile cancer in 2019, a condition that affects a very small number of men each year.
Speaking on This Morning, he recalled: “I woke up one morning and as every man does they'll go for their morning wee, and I looked down, it was very swollen, and instantly I didn't really know what was going on. Something isn't right.”
At first, he didn’t take immediate action, saying: “As a 26-year-old man it was very 'hmm what's this', so I did what every guy would probably do - ignore it [and] hope it goes away itself.”
But things quickly escalated. He later described making a cup of tea when he suddenly noticed something was wrong.
He revealed he "felt something wet” in his groin — and when he checked, he said there was “blood everywhere”.
After calling for his partner, who initially wondered if it might be a nosebleed, Steven realised he needed urgent medical attention. At the time, he admitted he didn’t even know the condition existed, only that “something isn't right.”
When he first sought medical help, doctors were unsure. Because of his age, cancer wasn’t initially suspected. Steven said he was told: “But it can't be penile cancer, you're 26, it only affects men over 50.”
Instead, he was treated for balanitis, a bacterial infection, and given cream. For weeks, he continued with treatment, hoping things would improve. “I was just living life like that, putting this cream on hoping it would get better,” he said.
But the pain intensified dramatically, he described it as: “if I had a needle and I was just poking the head consistently every second… there was no respite.”
Around a month later, his condition worsened again, he added: “I was in my brother's car in Morrisons' car park when the big one happened. I just passed out.”
Despite this, he initially tried to carry on with normal life, even attending his sister’s wedding while managing ongoing bleeding.
It wasn’t until a later appointment that the seriousness of the situation became clear. Seeing a nurse wearing a Macmillan Cancer Support lanyard made him realise what he might be facing. He was soon diagnosed with penile cancer and rushed in for emergency surgery.
The operation successfully removed the tumor, but it required amputating four inches of his penis. Thankfully, the procedure was effective, and Steven is now in remission.
According to the NHS, penile cancer most commonly affects the foreskin or the head (glans) of the penis. While very rare, with fewer than one in 100,000 men diagnosed annually in the US, early detection is key to successful treatment.
Common warning signs include:
If you’re concerned about any symptoms, speaking to a medical professional as soon as possible can make a crucial difference.
