Patrick Meehan was 32 when he was diagnosed with penile cancer. He was in the shower when he noticed a rash on his penis. He went to the GP, who gave him a cream that cleared the rash, but still left a pea-sized lump under his foreskin.
He didn’t think much more about it until it started to bleed quite a lot, and he went back to the doctor. when he had a sample taken, the results of which showed he had penile cancer.
The diagnosis came as a huge shock to Patrick. “The doctor thought it was probably going to be a cyst,” he said. “So, to be told I had cancer came as a massive shock, especially one I’d never heard of.”
Patrick was referred to The Christie penile cancer service for treatment, one of only 9 designated penile cancer centres in England, where he met his surgeon, Mr Arie Parnham. He had an operation called glans resurfacing – where the outer layer of tissue on the head of the penis is removed – in February 2022. The bit of his penis that was lost was then rebuilt using a skin graft from his thigh.
A week later, when Patrick’s bandages were removed, he saw his penis for the first time after the surgery.
“I was highly emotional and in lots of pain as the dressing was removed,” he recalls. “At first, I couldn’t look down at it. The doctor held my hand as we looked together.
“It was swollen, bloody and bruised – but I remember saying something like ‘oh, that’s fine, I can get used to that.’ The phrase ‘time is a healer’ is a bit corny, but it’s so true. As the months and years go by, I have become more comfortable – both physically and psychologically – with my new body.”
The operation got rid of his cancer and he is still cancer-free to this day. His check-ups at The Christie were initially every 3 months before moving to 6 months. After his next 2 check-ups, Patrick will have been in remission for 5 years. Every day, he checks for new lumps and bumps in his groin area, just in case anything changes.
My team at The Christie were great. From the first moment that I met Mr Parnham, I felt like I was in very safe hands. After an observation he just said, ‘yeah we can sort that’ and my partner Ruth and I felt our anxieties just melt away. And it’s not just him, I felt like everyone was invested in me as a whole person, rather than just a diagnosis. It’s a very warm, welcoming place – a community – which is not what I expected at all.
Patrick Meehan, Christie patient
Now 36, Patrick describes the support he got as his ‘survival toolbox.’
“I really like it as an analogy because different tools do different jobs. I had my medical support from the urology team, but I also had peer-to-peer support and counselling through Orchid – an organisation that focuses on male cancers. I also went to a penile cancer support group at Maggie’s Manchester, which is round the corner from The Christie in Withington. A cancer diagnosis affects all areas of your life, but there is so much support available.
“I’m in a couple of bands and we’ve done a few fundraisers to raise awareness of penile cancer and raise money for Orchid. I want to do as much as I can to give back,” he adds.
To find out more about The Christie penile cancer service, please see our what we do page for further information.
