Penile cancer is a very rare form of cancer that occurs in about 1 in 100,000 men in the United States and Europe. In extreme cases, it can result in the loss of the penis and in death.
Some circumcision advocates claim that circumcision prevents penile cancer in most or all males. Many medical authorities regard these claims as discredited. For example, the American Cancer Society noted in a 1998 statement:
- "[T]he penile cancer risk is low in some uncircumcised populations, and the practice of circumcision is strongly associated with socio-ethnic factors, which in turn are associated with lessened risk. The consensus among studies that have taken these other factors into account is circumcision is not of value in preventing cancer of the penis.
- "Proven penile cancer risk factors include having unprotected sexual relations with multiple partners (increasing the likelihood of human papillomavirus infection), and cigarette smoking."
