Cancer of the penis is thought to be related to general hygiene. This is because men who have not been circumcised may find it more difficult to pull back the foreskin enough to clean thoroughly underneath. Therefore, the ritual removal of the foreskin has a protective effect as far as cancer of the penis is concerned.

Cancer of the penis is very rare indeed. In those societies where circumcision (all or part of the foreskin is removed) is performed soon after birth, it is much less common.

When circumcision is done later in life, during adolescence, or early adulthood, the risk of getting cancer of the penis is still reduced, but not as much as with circumcision in the first few months of life.