Dad issues warning to all men after having four inches of penis 'chopped off'

A dad faced a harrowing ordeal when he was diagnosed with an extremely rare form of cancer, leading to drastic treatment where four inches of his penis were removed. Patrick Howard, 65, had initially undergone a procedure to remove his prostate after being diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Eighteen months on, he began experiencing itching and redness on his penis, which at first was thought to be thrush. However, a specialist later confirmed it was an 'aggressive' penile cancer caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), and informed him that his condition was terminal.

Recounting his reaction, Patrick said: "Surely they're not going to chop it off?" Despite his disbelief, his consultant recommended a penectomy, which involved removing two-thirds of his penis. "I didn't even know penile cancer existed," Patrick admitted.

READ MORE:Mum's horror as Lidl trolley 'crushes her baby' after rolling off kerb and flipping onto him

READ MORE:Nurse went to shop for biscuits on her way to work - but instead killed man

He stressed the importance of regular health checks and open communication, saying: "All men should go and get checked and keep their partner in the loop from the beginning - I wouldn't have been able to get through this without Laura. Men are crap at talking about stuff, but definitely talk to your nearest and dearest and don't be embarrassed."

Patrick's journey with cancer began unexpectedly in October 2018 when what he thought were routine check-ups and blood tests led to a prostate cancer diagnosis, which came as 'a shock'. Following his diagnosis, he underwent a radical prostatectomy, which is the complete removal of the prostate gland, and tried to move past the experience.

In April 2020, Patrick started experiencing troubling symptoms. He had an itchy, red and sore penis, which led a nurse during a phone consultation to suggest it might be thrush - a yeast infection common among both sexes.

To address the problem, he was given topical creams but to no avail. Consequentially, in September 2020, he booked an appointment with his GP.

Patrick recalls the significant day clearly: "It was a beautiful day and I breezed in there, feeling lucky to actually see a GP in person (during the Covid-19 pandemic). And my GP said, 'I hate to say it, but I think you've got penile cancer'. We were deeply shocked."

The diagnosis left him stunned since penile cancer was something he'd never even heard of before. On a day that should have been a celebration, October 9, 2020 - his 61st birthday - he visited Clatterbridge Hospital and saw a specialist.

This expert confirmed the chilling news, stating that Patrick had 'an extremely rare and aggressive form of penile cancer. ' If left untreated, Patrick's time would be drastically limited, with an estimation of just six to eight months to live.

"We were shocked, deeply shocked, and he said I needed to have an operation," admits Patrick. Realising the grave necessity for surgery, he discussed his fears with Laura, his partner at the time.

"I said to Laura, my now-wife, 'I don't know what operation they're going to do, but surely they're not going to chop it off? ' And she said, 'Well, I hate to say this, but I think that's exactly what they're going to do'."

Feeling utterly 'bewildered' about facing a penectomy, Patrick sought further medical counsel at The Christie in Manchester, Europe's largest dedicated cancer centre. It was there he endured additional tests and scans, only to discover he also had renal cancer due to a tumour found on his kidney.

The subsequent treatment for Patrick involved the removal of roughly two-thirds of his penis - measuring around four inches - followed by operations to excise some lymph nodes within his groin and pelvic areas, as well as undergoing radiotherapy. He expressed serious concerns to his doctors about whether he would retain the ability to urinate properly and maintain sexual functions post-penectomy urging other men to be forthright in discussing these 'important' issues.

Regarding his intimacy with partner Laura, Patrick shared: "It's not penetrative, but there's a whole load of other things you can do, and there's still a lot of pleasure and sensation. It's only strengthened our strong relationship."

Together, Patrick and Laura celebrated their love by tying the knot on November 5, 2021, an event they described as 'fantastic'. Following their nuptials, the couple set out on various holidays and made plans to visit friends and family.

Nevertheless, persistent lumps on his penis signaled the need for chemotherapy for Patrick, which he described as 'heavy duty', sharing it wrought side effects like hair loss, fatigue, taste alteration, 'brain irritation', and short-term memory deficits.

Patrick underwent a second, innovative type of chemotherapy that concluded in October 2023. Since then, he has been managing his condition with regular three-monthly scans.

"Doctors said there was probably a less than 10% chance that it would work, this new chemotherapy," Patrick explained. "I think I was the second patient on it for penile cancer."

His latest scan results have been promising, showing that existing lumps have either shrunk or stayed the same size, with no further progression of the disease.

Patrick and r Laura, who share six children, recently enjoyed a road trip around Italy, and Patrick currently feels 'amazing'. Despite the uncertainty about future treatments, he is determined to increase awareness of penile cancer and HPV, urging men to speak up.

Laura said: "It has been so hard... but because it's a terminal diagnosis, and the fact that it was in 2020 and he's still here and really well, we almost feel it was all worth it because we've been given extra time together and had amazing adventures."

Patrick is actively campaigning for greater awareness of penile cancer and HPV. He supports the work of non-profit organisations Global Action on Men's Health and Noman is an Island: Race to End HPV, advocating for fairer, gender-neutral HPV vaccination programmes across the globe.

He informed PA Real Life: "My penile cancer is caused by HPV, and most people will get HPV at some point in their lives. If you have HPV, it's very unlikely you'll get cancer, but more people need to know about the possibility. The HPV inoculation campaign for boys and girls needs to be much more widespread."

NHS England's national clinical director for cancer, Professor Peter Johnson, commented: "We're very sorry to hear about Patrick's prognosis, but very thankful to him for speaking openly about his experience of penile cancer and his call for awareness about this form of the disease. In England, the HPV vaccine is offered to all children between the ages of 11-13, those up to the age of 25 who have missed their vaccination, or men who have sex with men.

"Anyone with worrying symptoms should contact their GP because detecting cancer early gives the best chance of successful treatment."

Penile cancer is exceedingly rare and typically affects older men, with about half of cases connected to certain variants of HPV, according to NHS information.

Dr Sharif Ismail, from UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), stated: "The HPV vaccine for boys was introduced in schools in 2019 and all pupils are now offered this vaccine in year 8 or 9. It not only protects young women against cervical cancer but also safeguards men and women against genital warts and various cancers of the genital area and anus, as well as some cancers affecting the mouth and throat."

The Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson stated: "Our thoughts are with Patrick and we commend him for his efforts in raising awareness of his condition. Patrick's story serves as a reminder that we need to do more to improve the detection, diagnosis and treatment of cancer."

The spokesperson added: "As part of our 10-year plan to radically reform our broken NHS, we will fight cancer on all fronts, from prevention, to diagnosis, treatment, and research."

A statement from the Department also highlighted the success of the HPV vaccination programme, saying: "The HPV programme, now just a single jab for most of those under 25, is one of the most successful in the world and has dramatically lowered the rates of cervical cancer and harmful infections in women and men - preventing many cancers and saving lives."

Get daily headlines and breaking news emailed to you - it’s FREE