Combined bleomycin and radiation therapy in carcinoma of the penis

Cancer of the penis is an uncommon disease in the western part of the world but it represents a significant portion of male cancer in other countries as in Asia, Africa, and South America, where in certain areas it accounts for 20% of the cancer occurrence in male patients. The treatment has been based mainly on surgical excision with or without regional lymphadenectomy. Chemotherapy with bleomycin has had some effectiveness in advanced disease. A mode of combination therapy with bleomycin and irradiation has been evaluated in patients with carcinoma of the penis. The results compare favorably with surgical treatment with respect to cure of the disease and patient survival, and it has the advantage of preserving sexual function in most of the cases. This combined therapy is useful even in patients with relatively extensive local tumor.