The Lived Experience of Men with Penile Cancer

This qualitative research study examined the lived experience of men with penile cancer. Penile cancer is a rare and debilitating disease, affecting only 1 in 100,000 men in Western countries. Although there is much written about the medical treatment of the disease, there is very little in the literature about the experiences of men with the disease. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the lived experience of men with penile cancer. Such understanding will help caregivers to formulate care pathways that will address the holistic needs of patients with penile cancer. Using a face to face interview with semi-structured guide, the researcher interviewed a purposive sample of 13 men about their experience with penile cancer. Heidegger's hermeneutic phenomenology was used as the philosophical underpinning and Colazzi's (1978) method was used to analyze study data. The following themes emerged: Misdiagnosis, Secrecy, "Cancer is Cancer," Sexual issues, Support, and Awareness and Prevention.