Wayne Earle’s world was irrevocably changed when a seemingly benign lump on his genitals led to a life-altering diagnosis and ultimately resulted in the amputation of his penis.
Back in 2013, Earle discovered a lesion on his penis and sought medical advice, where it was initially identified as a genital wart.
However, as the lump continued to grow, a biopsy revealed a far more serious condition: penile cancer, a rare disease affecting between 100 and 166 Australians each year.
Faced with this shocking news, Earle was informed that the only viable treatment was the removal of his penis.
“I don’t even remember the conversation after he told me I had to have a penectomy. I lost all focus,” Earle recounted to the Daily Mail.
He added, “It took me a week to grasp what he was talking about.”
The now 58-year-old was told the aggressive cancer would likely claim his life within six months if his penis wasn’t removed.
‘I didn’t think I was a man anymore,’ he said. ‘It was a very hard road, a very long road. I spent seven months at home. I didn’t even leave the house.’
Wayne Earle lost his penis after a lump was misdiagnosed in 2013
Mr Earle and new wife Helen enjoy an intimate relationship despite the loss of his penis
His healthy urethra was moved and he now urinates through an opening between his testicles and anus.
‘I have to sit down to wee every day and that’s my reminder every time I go to the toilet. Why am I sitting down? Because I had cancer and lost my penis,’ Mr Earle said.
There have been trials in the United States involving penis replacements but the Blue Mountains local says he’s never contemplated it.
‘Walking around with someone else’s penis doesn’t interest me,’ Mr Earle said.
The number of penile cancer cases has more than doubled in Australia in the past 20 years, with 165 cases recorded last year, up from 73 in 2005.
The human papillomavirus (HPV) is linked to about 60 per cent of penile cancer cases, but smoking, being over 50, phimosis (tight foreskin), poor genital hygiene, UV exposure, and psoriasis can also be risk factors.
Mr Earle not only lost his penis but a 33-year-old relationship when his first wife walked out on him. He also continues to live with physical sexual feelings.
‘I’m a male. I still have all the muscles, I still get erection feelings. When I get intimate I still feel like I have a penis,’ he said.
Mr Earle, 58, said he and his wife have so many more important life priorities
After four years of being single, Mr Earle finally worked up the courage to start dating again and is happily remarried to his wife Helen.
The pair were also able to discover ways to enjoy a fulfilling sex life.
‘We get intimate and there are ways you can do things,’ he said. ‘I have a healthy urethra and prostate so I can still ejaculate. I still have the ability to have kids.’
Urologist Dr Dixon Woon, from the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand, said life can become very difficult for men who lose their penis.
‘It’s a very difficult topic to talk about, psychologically,’ he told the Daily Mail.
‘It can have a major impact on a man’s psychological health. It’s a defining organ and a man’s main identity.’
Dr Woon urged men to report any new rashes on the penis to a doctor if they don’t go away within a week, get bigger, or start to bleed.
He said early detection is critical in identifying and possibly saving a man’s penis and their life, with an AI imaging program to help diagnosis being explored.
The rates of penile cancer are on the rise in Australia
Up to 80 per cent of men who undergo treatment before penile cancer spreads to their lymph nodes are cured of the disease, according to Dr Woon.
Soon after having his penis removed, Mr Earle started CheckYourTackle.com after he struggled to find a support network.
His website raises awareness, provides support and education on penile, prostate and testicular cancer.
He also manages a global support network on Facebook for more than 800 men who have been diagnosed with penile cancer.
The group helps the men navigate the trauma of surgery and the identity crisis that generally follows.
Mr Earle said there are people in his support network who haven’t even told family members about their penile cancer, such is the sensitivity surrounding the topic.
‘Last Friday I sat in front of a group of 100 men talking about my experiences and it helps,’ he said.
‘If I had been diagnosed 11 months earlier I would still have a penis. Just get it checked. Don’t even think about it.
‘A penis doesn’t make you a man; it’s just a part of who you are.’
