Experience with primary carcinoma of the male urethra

We reviewed 23 cases of primary carcinoma of the male urethra and compared the clinical findings, treatment and results to the experiences previously reported. Patients with lesions of the pendulous urethra managed by appropriate amputation of the penis with ilio-inguinal node dissection for groin metastases had a good prognosis, whereas patients with lesions of the bulbo-membranous or prostatic urethra had a poor prognosis. Despite occasional successful results with conservative surgical excision and over-all poor results with radical excision the generally extensive nature of such tumors necessarily makes radical excision the treatment of choice.