This year, an estimated 1,570 men in the United States will be diagnosed with penile cancer. An estimated 310 deaths from the disease will occur this year.

Penile cancer is more common in some parts of Asia, Africa, and South America, where it accounts for up to 10% of cancers in men, than in the United States.

The five-year survival rate (percentage of people who survive at least five years after the cancer is detected, excluding those who die from other diseases) of men with penile cancer that has not spread at the time of diagnosis is about 85%. If the cancer has spread near the penis (local spread), the five-year survival rate is 59%. If the cancer has spread to other parts of the body (distant spread), the five-year survival rate is 11%.

Cancer survival statistics should be interpreted with caution. These estimates are based on data from thousands of people with this type of cancer, but the actual risk for a particular individual may differ. It is not possible to tell a person how long he will live with penile cancer. Because the survival statistics are measured in five-year intervals, they may not represent advances made in the treatment or diagnosis of this cancer. Learn more about understanding statistics [2].

Statistics adapted from the American Cancer Society's publication, Cancer Facts and Figures 2013.