Circumcision and penile cancer

The authors emphasize that not a single case of penile cancer in a circumcised Jew has been reported in a total of 1103 cases in the United States, despite the fact that Jews represented, at that time, 3 percent of the American population. One case of penile cancer in a Jew was reported by a Mid-West hospital, but this man was not cicumcised. Then the authors present data regarding Muslims who are not circumcised on the eighth day of life but between the fourth and ninth years. Data concerning 1336 penile cancers in Indian hospitals during the period 1925-1930 are presented: 26 occurred in Muslims (2%) and 1303 occurred in Hindus (97.5%) whereas the average Muslim population in these hospitals was 21.9%. Furthermore the authors recall that penile cancer occasionally develops in men who were circumcised in adult life. The conclusion of this overview is that the total immunity which characterises the Jews is not an effect of circumcision in itself but of circumcision in the neonatal period.