Neil, who is in his late 50s and from the North West, was diagnosed with penile cancer in spring 2023.
He first knew something was wrong after noticing a lump on his penis that wouldn’t go away.
“Weirdly, I’d seen a story in the news about someone who was diagnosed with penile cancer, so I was vaguely aware of it, but I didn’t know how rare it was and never thought it could happen to me.”
Neil was referred to The Christie penile cancer service for treatment, one of only 9 designated penile cancer centres in England. He had to have 2 operations: one to remove the part of his penis that was affected by the cancer and one to remove some lymph nodes. This was followed a few months later by 6 weeks of daily radiotherapy.
He felt well enough to work part-time throughout most of his treatment and felt very supported by the company he works for.
“One of the pieces of advice I’d give to other men in my position is to ask as many questions as you need to and don’t be afraid to ask for clarification if you need it. Treatment can be a bit of a whirlwind and it’s important that you have the right information,” Neil says. “If I could go back and do anything differently, that’d be it.”
“Jane and Sharon, my Christie nurses, were there for me throughout my treatment and they really put me at ease. It was great to have that consistency, so I didn’t have to explain myself every time I talked to someone.”
Neil’s treatment was successful, and he recently moved from 2-monthly to 6-monthly scans.
“I’m a few years out from my diagnosis and, even though it’s something I still carry with me, I’m starting to look to the future. Even though I receive less support from The Christie now, I always know my team is there if I need them.”
Neil, Christie patient
To find out more about The Christie penile cancer service, please see our what we do page for further information.