Should Male Circumcision be Advocated for Genital Cancer Prevention?

Abstract

The recent policy statement by the Cancer Council of Australia on infant circumcision and cancer preventionand the announcement that the quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine will be made available forboys in Australia prompted us to provide an assessment of genital cancer prevention. While HPV vaccinationof boys should help reduce anal cancer in homosexual men and cervical cancer in women, it will have little orno impact on penile or prostate cancer. Male circumcision can reduce cervical, penile and possibly prostatecancer. Promotion of both HPV vaccination and male circumcision will synergistically maximize genital cancerprevention.