A rare cancer that forms in the penis (an external male reproductive organ). Most penile cancers are squamous cell carcinomas (cancer that begins in flat cells lining the penis).
Anatomy of the penis. The parts of the penis are the base, shaft, glans, and foreskin. The tissues that make up the penis include the dorsal nerve, blood vessels, connective tissue, and erectile tissue (corpus cavernosum and corpus spongiosum). The urethra passes from the bladder to the tip of the penis.