Penile cancer: clinical presentation, diagnosis, and staging

Penile cancer is an uncommon malignancy in developed countries, with an estimated 1290 new cases of invasive penile cancer and 290 deaths among men in the United States in 2009, but is much more common in the developing countries of Asia, Africa, and South America. This disease can result in loss of function, disfigurement, and death. Thus, recognizing penile cancer early in the clinical setting and accurately diagnosing the patients is critical. Because the management and prognosis varies by the extent of local disease, lymph node status, and other factors, accurate staging of penile cancer is of utmost importance. This article focuses on the presentation, diagnosis, and staging of invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the penis. The authors highlight the recent changes to the American Joint Committee on Cancer's staging system for penile carcinoma and discuss other prognostic factors and predictive models.