Penile Cancer

Penile cancer is a type of malignant tumor that has an incidence low in developed countries, as occurs with a frequency less than one case per 100,000 inhabitants per year. In the United States are made ​​around 1500 new diagnoses a year. However in less developed regions the number of cases is much higher, represented in some African countries like Uganda to 10% of malignant tumors that occur in men. The average age of onset is 65.

It manifests as a lesion that appears on the glans or foreskin over 80% of the time and in the body of the penis at rest.

Diagnosis is practicing a biopsy of the suspicious lesion. The sample must be analyzed in a laboratory of Pathology . The most common tumor type is squamous cell carcinoma which may take various forms such as superficial, infiltrative or ulcerovegetante.

Used to describe the degree of extent of disease according to a key system. The lowest grade or absence of tumor corresponds to T0N0M0 and T4N3M1 maximum extension. The following is a summary of the main grade.

T – Primary tumor

Anatomical diagram of a penis Corpus cavernosum =Corpus cavernosum , Corpus spongiosum = Corpus spongiosum , Glas = penis glans , Dorsal artery = dorsal penile artery , Internal pudic artery = artery internal pudendal, Bulbo-Urethral artery = artery of bulb of penis

• T0. No primary tumor.
• Tis. Carcinoma in situ .
• T1. Invasion of subepithelial connective
  tissue (below the skin).
• T2. Invasion of the corpus spongiosum or corpus cavernosum of the penis.
• T3. Invasion of the urethra .
• T4. Invasion of other nearby structures.
• N0. There are no lymph nodes.
• N1. Lymph node in a single drop side and palpable.
• N2. Multiple mobile inguinal lymph nodes palpable.
• N3. Large nodal mass in the inguinal region.
• M0. No distant metastasis of the primary tumor.
• M1. If there are distant metastases of the primary tumor.

N - Lymph nodes regional

M - Metastasis

Treatment consists of surgical excision with wide margins, by surgery or application of laser , a technique recommended when the tumor is less than 2 cm and infiltrating the body at depth.

In general, aims to preserve the body in the extent feasible, provided that this does not compromise the patient’s life. It may be that a removal too conservative to try to keep the organ, has not resulted in the complete removal of the malignant lesion which involves the ability to produce metastases that invade other parts of the body.

When possible glandectomía is practiced in which only the glans is cut to a greater or lesser extent. In other cases it is necessary to perform a total or subtotal penectomy.

Another treatment option is radiation therapy is recommended in external and infiltrating small tumors less than 4 cm in diameter.

Also employs chemotherapy , either as an adjunct to the above techniques, or as monotherapy in the event that the extension does not make possible tumor surgery.