Rapid progression of carcinoma of the penis after laser treatment

We report a case of rapid progression of carcinoma of the penis, in a 90-year-old man, one year after yttrium-aluminum-garnet (YAG) laser therapy. This patient had received YAG laser ablation for well-differentiated, verrucous, squamous cell carcinoma of the penis at the age of 89, and was found on physical examination to have local recurrence. The recurrent tumors were surgically resected, and the histological examination revealed infiltrating, poorly-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. The patient developed metastases of bilateral inguinal lymph nodes and liver and died of penile carcinoma. We should be aware of the possibility of an unfavorable outcome following the use of laser therapy against carcinoma of the penis.