Organ-sparing reconstructive surgery in penile cancer: initial experiences at two Swedish referral centres

The aim of this study was to present early outcome data for patients treated for penile cancer with organ-sparing reconstructive surgery at two referral centres in Sweden.

Oncological, cosmetic and functional outcome and complications were analysed retrospectively during the period 2011-2013. Twelve patients with non-invasive penile cancer were treated with glans resurfacing (GR), while 15 patients with invasive penile cancer underwent total glansectomy with neoglans reconstruction (TGN).

The 12 patients treated with GR had a median age of 66 years (range 35-83 years) and a median follow-up time of 16 months (range 4-40 months). All patients showed carcinoma in situ and negative surgical margins in the final pathology report. The 15 patients treated with TGN had a median age of 71 years (range 37-78 years) and the median follow-up time was 10 months (range 1-25 months). All patients had invasive penile cancer and the surgical margins were negative in all cases except one. Complications occurred in five of the 27 patients (18%), and in most cases these were minor and infection related. No recurrences were seen in either group during follow-up, and all patients except one, who had undergone GR, were satisfied with the functional and cosmetic results.

GR and TGN seem to be oncologically safe procedures for treating carefully selected patients with penile cancer, and the functional and cosmetic results are promising. Based on these findings, the authors recommend that penile amputation should only be carried out in patients who are not suitable for organ-sparing reconstructive surgery.