Man Has 4 Inches of His Penis Amputated After 'Aggressive' Cancer Diagnosis

Steven Hamill is raising awareness of penile cancer after doctors originally dismissed his symptoms due to his age

NEED TO KNOW

• Steven Hamill was initially misdiagnosed despite experiencing severe symptoms at the age of 26
• He had the top four inches of his penis amputated after doctors discovered aggressive penile cancer that threatened his life
• Hamill now raises awareness about penile cancer and shares his journey to help others better recognize the disease

A single father who woke up to "blood everywhere" was given the horrifying news that he had penile cancer and needed four inches of his penis removed.

"I woke up one morning and, as every man does, they'll go for the morning wee, and I looked down it was very swollen," Steven Hamill, then 26,  told ITV's This Morning of his 2019 diagnosis. But, he says, "I did what every guy would probably do, which would ignore it, hope it goes away itself."

But then, he shared, "I was downstairs making a cup of tea, and then I felt something wet. So I looked down, and it was just blood everywhere — like up the cupboards, on my feet, all over the kitchen floor."  

At first, Hamill said doctors told him, " 'It can't be penile cancer. You're 26. Only affects men over 50.' "

So, he was diagnosed with "a really bad case of balanitis," a bacterial infection on the glans, or head, of the penis. Hamill was sent home with a steroid cream, and was "in celebration mode" that a doctor had dismissed any cancer concerns.

But while the bleeding stopped, Hamill says, "the pain started."

"The only way I can describe this pain is, if I had a needle and I was just poking at the head consistently every second, like, there was no respite. The only time I got some sleep was when my body just crashed two days later, or I'd have a five-hour bath because the warm water soothed it," Hamill explained. "The pain was just that horrific."

A month later, he passed out while sitting in his brother's car. "When I woke up, blood everywhere, all over his seat, and my pants." He knew he needed to see a doctor — but had one problem: His sister's wedding was the next day.

"I was just like, 'You know what? I'm going to wear one of them adult incontinence pad things, put it under my suit, just deal with the pain, self- medication.' So me and [the cocktail] pink gin had a really good relationship that day."

When he saw the urologist, he was promptly referred to a cancer hospital where, initially, Hamill was told he would need to be circumcised. But when he woke up from that procedure, he was told he would need a more extensive surgery. 

"The only way I can describe it," Hamill said, was to "imagine a banana and you bite the underneath of it. So, it's like a big crater in it. And that's what happened to me. So, the cancer was just eating away and that's what the bleed was."

The doctor told him, "'This is bad …  I'm going to try and save as much as I can because of your age … Go home, enjoy yourself for two days because your life's going to change dramatically.' " 

He shared that given "how aggressive it was," there was a moment where "even the surgeons themselves thought this guy probably won't make it." 

A graphic shown on the program illustrated that "they cut the end off," as This Morning host Ben Shephard explained.

According to Cleveland Clinic, penile cancer is "rare" in the United States, but "is most treatable when diagnosed early," and is curable in many cases. Cleveland Clinic notes that treatment can include circumcision, cryotherapy or medicated creams for early-stage cancer, or removal of lymph nodes or penectomy — as in Hamill's case — for more advanced cases.

When it comes to his post-surgery life, Hamill said "Luckily enough, I was in a situation where … I was blessed, should I say. Now I've lost some, [but] I've still got just under average [length] — more than enough to work with." He added, "I've had my child. Life's just great, just aesthetically a bit strange."

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He also shared that, when it comes to dating, "it has its ups and downs," quipping that doctors "don't give you a leaflet" detailing how to explain the surgery to someone. "I'm learning my body again and learning how to communicate, but it's made relationships a lot more intimate, a lot more connected, which I would probably say makes me a better person," he said.

Now, seven years later, Hamill says life is "better in some ways, 'cause I see life in a different way now." He works as an advocate, raising awareness of penile cancer — which he says has made him the target of some cruel jokes and slapped him with the nickname "Stumpy."

"There's been two memes about me," he said. "People can hate me and put loads of weird comments. I'll just reply, going, 'Cheers, but at least now you know penile cancer exists.' "

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