Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Advanced penile cancer

  • Urology – Review
  • Published:
International Urology and Nephrology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Penile cancer is an uncommon disease in the industrialized world that most frequently presents at low stage and is cured with treatment of local and regional surgery. In cases of advanced cancer, the use of more aggressive surgical techniques and the addition of adjuvant therapy may be warranted. So far, few agents have been found that improve survival with metastatic disease and thus aggressive primary treatment is required. This review discusses diagnosis, staging, and therapy for high risk penile cancer.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Pow-Sang MR et al (2010) Epidemiology and natural history of penile cancer. Urology 76(2 Suppl 1):S2–S6

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Soria JC et al (1997) Squamous cell carcinoma of the penis: multivariate analysis of prognostic factors and natural history in a monocentric study with a conservative policy. Ann Oncol 8(11):1089–1098

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Tseng HF et al (2001) Risk factors for penile cancer: results of a population-based case-control study in Los Angeles County (US). Cancer Causes Control 12(3):267–277

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Maden C et al (1993) History of circumcision, medical conditions, and sexual-activity and risk of penile cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 85(1):19–24

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Harish K, Ravi R (1995) The role of tobacco in penile carcinoma. Br J Urol 75(3):375–377

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Hungerhuber E et al (2006) Risk stratification in penile carcinoma: 25-year experience with surgical inguinal lymph node staging. Urology 68(3):621–625

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Antunes AA, Dall’Oglio MF, Srougi M (2007) Organ-sparing treatment for penile cancer. Nat Clin Pract Urol 4(11):596–604

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Hardner GJ et al (1972) Carcinoma of the penis: analysis of therapy in 100 consecutive cases. J Urol 108(3):428–430

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Lont AP et al (2007) Pelvic lymph node dissection for penile carcinoma: extent of inguinal lymph node involvement as an indicator for pelvic lymph node involvement and survival. J Urol 177(3):947–952

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Pizzocaro G et al (2010) EAU penile cancer guidelines 2009. Eur Urol 57(6):1002–1012

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Haas GP et al (1999) Cisplatin, methotrexate and bleomycin for the treatment of carcinoma of the penis: a southwest oncology group study. J Urol 161(6):1823–1825

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Srinivas V et al (1987) Penile cancer: relation of extent of nodal metastasis to survival. J Urol 137(5):880–882

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Ravi R (1993) Correlation between the extent of nodal involvement and survival following groin dissection for carcinoma of the penis. Br J Urol 72(5 Pt 2):817–819

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Ornellas AA et al (1994) Surgical treatment of invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the penis: retrospective analysis of 350 cases. J Urol 151(5):1244–1249

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Scardino E et al (2004) Magnetic resonance imaging combined with artificial erection for local staging of penile cancer. Urology 63(6):1158–1162

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Hughes B et al (2009) Non-invasive and minimally invasive staging of regional lymph nodes in penile cancer. World J Urol 27(2):197–203

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Scher B et al (2005) 18F-FDG PET/CT for staging of penile cancer. J Nucl Med 46(9):1460–1465

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Schlenker B et al (2009) Detection of inguinal lymph node involvement in penile squamous cell carcinoma by 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT: a prospective single-center study. Urol Oncol 30(9):753–769

    Google Scholar 

  19. Graafland NM et al (2010) 18F-FDG PET/CT for monitoring induction chemotherapy in patients with primary inoperable penile carcinoma: first clinical results. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 37(8):1474–1480

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Esen G (2006) Ultrasound of superficial lymph nodes. Eur J Radiol 58(3):345–359

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Tabatabaei S, Harisinghani M, McDougal WS (2005) Regional lymph node staging using lymphotropic nanoparticle enhanced magnetic resonance imaging with ferumoxtran-10 in patients with penile cancer. J Urol 174(3):923–927 discussion 927

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. D’Ancona CA et al (1997) Quality of life after partial penectomy for penile carcinoma. Urology 50(4):593–596

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Horenblas S, van Tinteren H (1994) Squamous cell carcinoma of the penis. IV. Prognostic factors of survival: analysis of tumor, nodes and metastasis classification system. J Urol 151(5):1239–1243

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Davis JW, Schellhammer PF, Schlossberg SM (1999) Conservative surgical therapy for penile and urethral carcinoma. Urology 53(2):386–392

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Solsona E et al (2001) Prospective validation of association of local tumor stage and grade as predictive factor for occult lymph node micrometastases in patients with penile carcinoma and clinically negative inguinal lymph nodes. J Urol 165(5):1506–1509

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Hegarty PK et al (2006) A prospective study of 100 cases of penile cancer managed according to European association of urology guidelines. BJU Int 98(3):526–531

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Thuret R et al (2010) A contemporary population-based assessment of the rate of lymph node dissection for penile carcinoma. Ann Surg Oncol 18(2):439–446

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Cabanas RM (1992) Anatomy and biopsy of sentinel lymph nodes. Urol Clin North Am 19(2):267–276

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Pettaway CA et al (1995) Sentinel lymph-node dissection for penile carcinoma: the M-D-Anderson-cancer-center experience. J Urol 154(6):1999–2003

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Tanis PJ et al (2002) Dynamic sentinel node biopsy for penile cancer: reliability of a staging technique. J Urol 168(1):76–80

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Spiess PE, Hernandez MS, Pettaway CA (2009) Contemporary inguinal lymph node dissection: minimizing complications. World J Urol 27(2):205–212

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Hughes BE et al (2010) Lymph node metastasis in intermediate-risk penile squamous cell cancer: a two-centre experience. Eur Urol 57(4):688–692

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Sanchez-Ortiz RF, Pettaway CA (2004) The role of lymphadenectomy in penile cancer. Urol Oncol 22(3):236–244 discussion 244–245

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Daseler EH, Anson BJ, Reimann AF (1948) Radical excision of the inguinal and iliac lymph glands: a study based upon 450 anatomical dissections and upon supportive clinical observations. Surg Gynecol Obstet 87(6):679–694

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Evriviades D, Raurell A, Perks AG (2007) Pedicled anterolateral thigh flap for reconstruction after radical groin dissection. Urology 70(5):996–999

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Bermejo C et al (2007) Neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by aggressive surgical consolidation for metastatic penile squamous cell carcinoma. J Urol 177(4):1335–1338

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Assimos DG, Jarow JP (1994) Role of laparoscopic pelvic lymph node dissection in the management of patients with penile cancer and inguinal adenopathy. J Endourol 8(5):365–369

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Mahlmann B, Doehn C, Feyerabend T (2001) Radiotherapy of penile cancer. Urol A 40(4):308

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. de Crevoisier R et al (2009) Long-term results of brachytherapy for carcinoma of the penis confined to the glans (N− or NX). Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 74(4):1150–1156

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Crook J, Ma C, Grimard L (2009) Radiation therapy in the management of the primary penile tumor: an update. World J Urol 27(2):189–196

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Crook J, Jezioranski J, Cygler JE (2010) Penile brachytherapy: technical aspects and post implant issues. Brachytherapy 9(2):151–158

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Crook JM et al (2005) Penile brachytherapy: results for 49 patients. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 62(2):460–467

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Murrell DS, Williams JL (1965) Radiotherapy in the treatment of carcinoma of the penis. Br J Urol 37:211–222

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Edsmyr F, Andersson L, Esposti PL (1985) Combined bleomycin and radiation therapy in carcinoma of the penis. Cancer 56(6):1257–1263

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Ahmed T, Sklaroff R, Yagoda A (1984) An appraisal of the efficacy of bleomycin in epidermoid carcinoma of the penis. Anticancer Res 4(4–5):289–292

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Ahmed T, Sklaroff R, Yagoda A (1984) Sequential trials of methotrexate, cisplatin and bleomycin for penile cancer. J Urol 132(3):465–468

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Hussein AM, Benedetto P, Sridhar KS (1990) Chemotherapy with cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil for penile and urethral squamous cell carcinomas. Cancer 65(3):433–438

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Dexeus FH et al (1991) Combination chemotherapy with methotrexate, bleomycin and cisplatin for advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the male genital tract. J Urol 146(5):1284–1287

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. Hakenberg OW et al (2006) Cisplatin, methotrexate and bleomycin for treating advanced penile carcinoma. BJU Int 98(6):1225–1227

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. Pizzocaro G, Piva L (1998) Adjuvant and neoadjuvant vincristine, bleomycin, and methotrexate for inguinal metastases from squamous cell carcinoma of the penis. Acta Oncol 27(6b):823–824

    Google Scholar 

  51. Theodore C et al (2008) A phase II multicentre study of irinotecan (CPT 11) in combination with cisplatin (CDDP) in metastatic or locally advanced penile carcinoma (EORTC PROTOCOL 30992). Ann Oncol 19(7):1304–1307

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  52. Pagliaro LC et al (2010) Neoadjuvant paclitaxel, ifosfamide, and cisplatin chemotherapy for metastatic penile cancer: a phase II study. J Clin Oncol 28(24):3851–3857

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  53. Modig H, Duchek M, Sjodin JG (1993) Carcinoma of the penis. Treatment by surgery or combined bleomycin and radiation therapy. Acta Oncol 32(6):653–655

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  54. Gotsadze D et al (2000) Is conservative organ-sparing treatment of penile carcinoma justified? Eur Urol 38(3):306–312

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  55. Perez-Tamayot C (1987) Combined approach to squamous cell carcinoma of the penis (SCP). Proc Am Soc Clin Oncol 6:109

    Google Scholar 

  56. Clavel M et al (1994) Randomized comparison of cisplatin, methotrexate, bleomycin and vincristine (CABO) versus cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (CF) versus cisplatin (C) in recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. A phase III study of the EORTC head and neck cancer cooperative group. Ann Oncol 5(6):521–526

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  57. Leijte JA et al (2007) Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in advanced penile carcinoma. Eur Urol 52(2):488–494

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  58. Edge SB, Byrd DR, Compton CC et al (eds) (2010) AJCC cancer staging manual, 7th edn. Springer, NY, p 449

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. OU College of Medicine, Norman, OK, USA

    Jonathan E. Heinlen, David D. Buethe & Daniel Joseph Culkin

Authors
  1. Jonathan E. Heinlen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. David D. Buethe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Daniel Joseph Culkin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daniel Joseph Culkin.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Heinlen, J.E., Buethe, D.D. & Culkin, D.J. Advanced penile cancer. Int Urol Nephrol 44, 139–148 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11255-011-0011-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11255-011-0011-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation