General Medical Information

Penile Cancer

When diagnosed early (stages I and II) penile cancer is highly curable. Curability decreases sharply for stages III and IV. Because of the rarity of this cancer in the United States, clinical trials specifically for penile cancer are infrequent. Patients with stage III and IV cancer can be candidates for phase I and II clinical trials testing new drugs, biologicals, or surgical techniques to improve local control and distant metastases.

The selection of treatment is dependent on the size, location, invasiveness, and stage of the tumor.[1,2]

References

1. Herr HH, Dalbagni G, Bajorin DF: Cancer of the urethra and penis. In: DeVita VT, Hellman S, Rosenberg SA, eds.: Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2001, pp 1480-1490.

2. Chao KS, Perez CA: Penis and male urethra. In: Perez CA, Brady LW, eds.: Principles and Practice of Radiation Oncology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Lippincott-Raven Publishers, 1998, pp 1717-1732.