The U.S. Government National Cancer Institute estimates that in the United States about 1,290 new cases of penile cancer will be diagnosed and an estimated 300 men will die of penile cancer in 2009. Penile cancer occurs in about 1 man in 100,000 in the United States. Penile cancer is very rare in North America and Europe.
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/penile/
The American Cancer Society (2006) stated, “The current consensus of most experts is that circumcision should not be recommended as a prevention strategy for penile cancer.”
“However, the 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.”
“In the past, circumcision has been suggested as a way to prevent penile cancer. This suggestion was based on studies that reported much lower penile cancer rates among circumcised men than among uncircumcised men. However, most researchers now believe those studies were flawed because they failed to consider other risk factors, such as smoking, personal hygiene, and the number of sexual partners.”
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_2X_Can_penile_cancer_be_prevented_35.asp
Penile Cancer: Comparison of Approximate Incidence and Death Rates per 100,000 Males for Selected Countries*
COUNTRY YEAR INCIDENCE DEATH RATE
circumcising:
United States…..1972………0.8/100,000………0.3*
intact:
Japan……………..1980………NA…………………..0.2*
Norway……………1967……..1.1……………………NA*
Sweden…………..1968……..1.1……………………NA*
Denmark…………1972………1.1………………….NA*
Finland……………1972………0.5…………………..NA*
* Edward Wallerstein: Circumcision: The Uniquely American Medical Enigma, Springer-Verlag, New York, 1980.
** Various sources
Penile Cancer Bias of American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
Pediatricians have a vested interest in encouraging you to circumcise your child. They make money by selling surgery.
Their organization, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) provided a brochure for use by pediatricians. This brochure claimed that cancer may be prevented if you circumcise your child.
When the American Cancer Society (ACS) became aware of this brochure, two highly placed ACS representatives sent a letter of disciplinary tone to the AAP, and took the further step of making the letter public.
Before receiving this information, the AAP could claim that they were somehow unaware that their claims were false or exaggerated. Having been duly informed, the AAP must take action to correct their mistake.
The following letter is dated February 16, 1996, yet many pediatricians continue to profit from unnecessary surgery by misleading parents with claims that they can prevent cancer. If you were sold unnecessary surgery for your child after this date, as a result of false or exaggerated claims by the AAP and your pediatrician, then you may have grounds for a lawsuit.
Allowing your child to be subjected to unnecessary surgery exposes him to the dangerous, sometimes fatal infections that can be acquired in a hospital. “Fatalities caused by circumcision accidents may approximate the mortality rate from penile cancer,” says the American Cancer Society. Perhaps more important, penile cancer mortality would affect a man nearing the end of his life, and routine circumcision accidents damage and kill children just beginning their lives.
Here is the letter:
American Cancer Society
NATIONAL HOME OFFICE
1599 Clifton Road, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30329-4251 * 404-320-3333
February 16, 1996
Dr. Peter Rappo
Committee on Practice & Ambulatory Medicine
American Academy of Pediatrics
141 Northwest Point Boulevard
P.O. Box 927
Elk Grove Village, IL 60009-0927
Dear Dr. Rappo:
As representatives of the American Cancer Society, we would like to discourage the American Academy of Pediatrics from promoting routine circumcision as a preventive measure for penile or cervical cancer. The American Cancer Society does not consider routine circumcision to be a valid or effective measure to prevent such cancers.
Research suggesting a pattern in the circumcision status of partners of women with cervical cancer is methodologically flawed, outdated, and has not been taken seriously in the medical community for decades.
Likewise, research claiming a relationship between circumcision and penile cancer is inconclusive. Penile cancer is an extremely rare condition, affecting one in 200,000 men in the United States. Penile cancer rates in countries which do not practice circumcision are lower than those found in the United States. Fatalities caused by circumcision accidents may approximate the mortality rate from penile cancer.
Portraying routine circumcision as an effective means of prevention distracts the public from the task of avoiding the behaviors proven to contribute to penile and cervical cancer: especially cigarette smoking, and unprotected sexual relations with multiple partners. Perpetuating the mistaken belief that circumcision prevents cancer is inappropriate.
Sincerely,
(signed)
Hugh Shingleton, M.D.
National Vice President Detection & Treatment
(signed)
Clark W. Heath, Jr., M.D.
Vice President Epidemiology & Surveillance Research
(end of ACS letter)
http://www.fathermag.com/health/circ/acs/
From Cancer Research UK
(Cancer Research UK is the leading funder of cancer research in the UK )
“Penile cancer is a rare cancer. It is more difficult to get statistics for rare cancers because they are based on small numbers of people. Remember that most cases of penile cancer are in men aged over 60 years old. It rarely affects men under 40.”