The Cleveland Clinic explains that penile cancer occurs when normal cells in the penis transform and multiply uncontrollably. Despite its seriousness, this type of cancer is uncommon in the United States, accounting for less than 1% of all male cancers.
Treatment options vary, ranging from medicated creams and cryotherapy to more invasive procedures like adult circumcision. In Hamill’s situation, a partial penectomy was necessary.
Hamill described his condition by saying, “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.”
Prior to undergoing the high-risk surgery, his doctor warned, “This is bad… I’m going to try and save as much as I can because of your age,” and advised him to “Go home, enjoy yourself for two days because your life’s going to change dramatically.”
