Patrick Howard, a 66-year-old dad from Liverpool, is doing well after being diagnosed with a rare and aggressive penile cancer nearly 6 years ago. He was initially given around 12 months to live.
Patrick, who with his wife Laura has 6 children between them, went to his GP after noticing his penis was red, itchy, and sore. Luckily, the doctor knew what it was right away and referred him to The Christie penile cancer service for treatment, one of only 9 designated penile cancer centres in England.
“I hadn’t even heard of penile cancer before I went to the doctors, so I was in complete shock. I had my appointment with Mr Parnham – my Christie surgeon – on 9 October 2020, and 3 days later I had an operation to remove two-thirds of my penis.”
“Penile cancer is very rare, and I was told mine was very aggressive. I was only given a 7% chance of survival, so even though I didn’t want to have the operation, I wanted to live more. I just switched into survival mode.”
Patrick had another operation to remove some affected lymph nodes, followed by 5 weeks of daily radiotherapy.
However, due to the aggressive nature of his cancer, his tumours kept growing, so he also had to have 2 rounds of chemotherapy, which he finished in October 2023. Although his cancer remains incurable, he has remained stable since then and hasn’t had to have any more treatment.
“The chemotherapy was brutal, but I got through it by doing nice things in-between cycles. I got married to my wife, Laura, and we went for weekends away. Even when you’re going through cancer treatment, there’s still life to be lived,” Patrick says.
“I will never be free from cancer and am living with quite a few side effects from my treatment, but I have beaten the odds and I’m still here. I still have 6-monthly scans at The Christie to make sure that all is still OK. It gives me peace of mind to know that I’m being closely monitored,” he adds.
Patrick says that being open with friends and family was key when he was going through treatment.
Men need to talk more about their physical and mental health – don’t let embarrassment stop you from getting help, whether that’s from the GP or elsewhere. If you can, be open with your loved ones. I’ve been really touched by how supportive everyone has been. Psychological support is also available at The Christie if you want it as well.
Patrick Howard, Christie patient
“My team at The Christie was brilliant. I had nothing but complete and utter faith in them and felt very well cared for. In fact, everyone was brilliant. As soon as you walk in, you feel safe and like everyone has a vested interest in you getting better. Weirdly, I see myself as lucky. If I was going to get this diagnosis, I couldn’t have wished for a better experience or a better team.”
Now out the other side of treatment, Patrick has become a men’s health advocate, especially around the importance of young people having the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, as it was this virus that caused his cancer.
“I hope that by being open about my experience, I can raise awareness and help people,” he adds.
To find out more about The Christie penile cancer service, please see our what we do page for further information.
