Penis Cancer: My Very Private Hell

Artist John D Edwards's latest paintings tell a harrowing story: how he fought his way back from penis cancer

'Oh, er, men's cancer,'

'Prostate?'

'No.

'Testicular?'

'No.'

'I've got penile cancer, OK -- cancer of the penis!'

one of the rarest cancers

a book. How Cancer Saved My Life

It was in the bath that the artist discovered a lump in his groin

In a move that probably saved his life, he went straight to his GP

I had a malignant tumour in my lymph nodes, that it was very serious, but that they didn't know where the cancer was coming from,

a redness under his foreskin

Only 400 men a year in the UK are diagnosed with penile cancer, compared with 35,000 for prostate cancer

at 23 (one place ahead of male breast cancer) it is extremely rare

'cancer of the dick!'

With four sisters and a mother, you just have to say it like it is."

interferon

"The first day I injected it, all my nails fell off,"

'you're penile cancer man -- can I have a look?

I said yes, and showed him my penis