Cancer of the Penis
1Department of Urologic Oncology, Roswell Park Memorial Institute.
Abstract:
Cancer of the penis is infrequent in the United States because of good genital hygiene and circumcision of male babies at birth. In other countries, it represents 11-12% of all cancer in males. Tumors of the penis consist mainly of squamous cell carcinoma. Mesenchymal tumors are rare. The treatment is based on the surgical excision of the penis (partial or total) with or without regional lymphadenectomy. Radiotherapy alone or in conjunction with surgery is also used. Chemotherapy with bleomycin and/or methotrexate has been effective in advanced disease. The prognosis is directly related to the stage of the tumor at the time of the treatment. Patients without lymphatic metastases remain alive and free of disease at ten years of follow-up. Meanwhile, patients with microscopic lymphatic spread, survive an average of 2.5 years (Roswell Park Memorial Institute). These data emphasize the importance of early diagnosis and treatment to achieve long survival.
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