Penis Cancer: The Lived Experience.

BACKGROUND

This qualitative study examined the experiences of men with penis cancer. Cancer of the penis is a rare and debilitating disease, affecting 1 in 100 000 men in Western countries. Although much has been written about the medical treatment of the disease, little has been published about the experiences of men who have penis cancer.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to gain an understanding of the lived experiences of men with cancer of the penis.

METHODS

Using face-to-face audio-taped interviews with a semi-structured guide, the researcher recruited a purposive sample of 13 men who had been treated for penile cancer. Heidegger's hermeneutic phenomenology served as the philosophical underpinning and Colazzi's method was used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

Six main themes emerged from the data: Misdiagnosis, Secrecy, "Cancer is cancer," Sexual Issues, Support, and Awareness and Prevention.

CONCLUSIONS

Men diagnosed and treated for penis cancer reported numerous issues related to misdiagnosis, delayed treatment, and reluctance to share experience with family, friends, and coworkers.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Gaining more knowledge of the experiences of men with penile cancer will provide additional insights for healthcare providers to create holistic practice guidelines for the care of men and their loved ones who are affected. It is recommended to change the terminology to penis cancer, instead of penile cancer, to promote public awareness, education, prevention, and early treatment.