[Carcinoma of the penis. Staging]

The two main classifications for staging carcinoma of the penis are the Jackson, which is probably the most commonly employed, and the UICC, TNM. A consistent method of staging penile cancer as been difficult, as there is no standard use of classifications. The ideal system would directly or indirectly predict the natural life expectancy of the host, the malignant potential of the tumor, the extent of the tumor and dictate the response of the tumor to treatment. Currently, using a grading system in addiction to the staging system has not improved correlation with prognosis. Prognosis appears to correlate only with stage at presentation, and the most reliable prognostic indicator of survival is the presence or absence of lymph nodes involvement at presentation.