Pathologic Evaluation and Reporting of Carcinoma of the Penis

Carcinoma of the penis is a rare tumor in the United States and in western European countries. Clinical management has become more complex in recent years, because organ-preserving strategies are being favored. Furthermore, our understanding of the pathogenesis of this malignancy has grown considerably. As a result of these developments, the demands on the pathology reports of surgical specimens from the penis have increased. There are also some peculiarities with the current World Health Organization and TNM classification systems of penile cancer as compared with other tumor entities. This review outlines the most relevant aspects that have to be considered in the pathologic handling and typing of penile carcinoma.