Peyronie's disease causes the penis to develop a significant curve. Recent research shows that the total cancer risk in these men may be increased. Peyronie's disease is a disorder of the connective tissue in the penis.

Also referred to as penile fibrosis, it causes fibrous plaques to grow in the soft tissue. This scar tissue can cause painful erections and erectile dysfunction. It also shortens and curves the penis.

It is difficult to know exactly how many people are affected by Peyronie's, but estimates range from 1–23 percent of men aged 40–70.

The plaques that develop as part of Peyronie's are not contagious or cancerous, and the exact causes are still not understood. Some cases seem to be linked to an injury to the penis or a series of injuries over time, but this is not always the case. There may also be an autoimmune component to Peyronie's.

Peyronie's, genes, and cancer

The condition has been shown to run in families and, recently, the genetics involved in Peyronies has received growing attention. Interestingly, some of the genes that have a relationship with Peyronie's disease also appear to be involved in certain types of human cancer.

For instance, WNT2, a protein-coding gene, appears to be associated with Peyronie's and also in the progression of some types of cancer.

On the back of these recent findings, researchers from Baylor College in Houston, TX, decided to see whether Peyronie's disease is linked to a measurable increase in cancer risk.