Circumcision and the risk of cancer of the penis. A life-table analysis
M. Kochen and S. McCurdy
The low incidence of penile cancer in the United States is frequently cited
as a reason for not justifying the risk of neonatal circumcision as a
prophylactic measure. Although uncircumcised men are uniquely at risk for
this malignant neoplasm, previous approaches have used annual incidence
data collected without regard to circumcision status, thus tending to
underestimate the true risk to this susceptible group. In addition, the
concept of lifetime risk has not been addressed. Using data from the Third
National Cancer Survey and previously published circumcision prevalence
figures in a life-table analysis, we estimated the lifetime risk for cancer
of the penis in uncircumcised males. The predicted risk is 166 per 10(5),
or one in 600; the estimated median age of occurrence is 67 years. These
data deserve to be considered with other morbidity factors in the context
of the neonatal circumcision debate.
