I had my penis amputated after my cancer diagnosis – it was hell and mental torture because you lose all your confidence, your masculinity and your identity
A man who was diagnosed with a rare form of penile cancer before undergoing complete amputation of his penis is urging other men to heed the warning signs after the condition left him in ‘mental torture’.
During Thursday’s episode of ITV’s This Morning, Stockport resident Craig Mycock opened up about his ‘hellish’ experiences.
He told presenters Rylan Clark-Neal and Josie Gibson that he took the plunge to appear on national television in the hope that he could encourage other men to look out for the warning signs of the condition.
In the UK, 700 men are diagnosed with penile cancer each year.
Craig had no idea he had cancer when he went to the doctor in 2018 for a bladder exam.
During Thursday’s episode of ITV’s This Morning, Stockport resident Craig Mycock (pictured) opened up about his ‘hellish’ experience
During the procedure, the nurse noticed an unusual freckle on the tip of his penis, which concerned her enough that she sought a second opinion from a doctor.
Craig, who is a bus driver, was shocked when doctors told him he had an aggressive form of cancer and would need an immediate full amputation.
He had no idea that the mark on his penis was anything to worry about. “It wasn’t itchy or painful, I just thought it was something that was there, so I had ignored it until then,” he explained.
Craig was sent to Christie Hospital in Manchester, which is known for treating cancer, and he remembers being terrified when he heard he was being sent there.
“When you hear Christie’s, your heart sinks,” he said, recalling the experiences of other family members with cancer in the same hospital.
Craig then had a biopsy and two weeks later was told it was an aggressive, fast-growing cancer and that they would have to remove part of his penis.
At this point Craig said he was “worried or not too worried. I thought it would be OK to move on with my life.”
When he arrived at Christie’s Hospital for surgery he was told the cancer had spread. After further tests he was told the cancer had progressed and he would need surgery to remove the penis completely.
Craig appeared on the show alongside his wife, Colette, who he credits with surviving the experience. The couple have been together for 33 years
Due to the lockdown at the time, he had to attend these appointments alone. “I couldn’t have anyone with me, which really affected me, but you just had to accept it and bear it,” he said.
When Rylan asked Craig what it felt like to know he was going to lose his penis, he described the experience as simply “hell.” “You lose all your confidence, your masculinity, your identity really,” he explained.
He went on to say that he would never have recovered mentally if it weren’t for his partner of 33 years, Colette Daniels, and his family.
Craig then talked about the tremendous emotions that came with the diagnosis and which led him to take his own life.
Colette also shares the following about her situation: ‘The mental side of it was the hardest for me. I saw Craig go from being a tough guy and a joker to someone who would sit in a chair for days, not speak and never go outside.
“If he went outside and saw someone, he would run. That hurt me more to see him shrink into a shell of nothing. Craig, to me, is the bravest man on this earth,” she said.
Colette said she was initially surprised that Craig wanted to share his experience, but was proud that her partner was sharing his experiences to help others.
Although the amputation was successful, Craig says he still experiences a lot of pain around the surgical site and sometimes finds the pain “unbearable.”
Craig called the physical punishment “mental torture.”
“It got me as far as I could and at one point I broke down and did the stupid thing of killing myself, but that’s part of my story and I’m the best I can be,” he shared. “Penis cancer is real and not a lot of people know about it,” he said.
Craig (pictured on This Morning) had no idea he had cancer when he went to the doctor in 2018 for an unrelated procedure to have his bladder checked
Dr. Nighat was a guest on the show to give advice on how men can check themselves for the early signs of penile cancer.
She said penile cancer is fortunately rare, affecting only 700 men a year, less than one percent of new cancers. She noted that prostate cancer, which is much more common, still carries “a lot of stigma and taboo.”
She said: ‘As a GP I get patients who come back to me after all my treatments with the aftermath. That takes a mental toll because you can feel very alone.’
Dr Nighat acknowledged the difficult diagnosis Craig received during lockdown, when he had to face the news of his cancer while alone.
She encouraged men to look out for some warning signs and get checked. She said men should look out for: ‘Any skin changes – we say persistent changes – which means they last more than four weeks, any irritation, any rashes. Also, any discharge is not normal, and neither is any blood.
‘It’s really important to go a little further away from the genitals and look in the groin area, because that’s where you can get lumps. Just like we would say for breasts: look under the armpit and the neck, look under the groin.’
Dr. Nighat also encourages men to look out for “warning signs” such as unintentional weight loss, gut discomfort, just feeling really tired, bone pain. These are really sinister symptoms.”
Considering these symptoms, Dr Nighat urged people to ‘come and see us’.
Penile cancer is more commonly diagnosed in men over 50, although she urged people to make sure they get checked anyway. Smokers are also more likely to develop cancer.
“The most important thing is to be aware of this and not be embarrassed to talk to a doctor,” she urged in conclusion.
For help and support, please contact the Samaritans on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org