Prognostic Factors for Inguinal Lymph Node Involvement and Tumor Recurrence in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Penis

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Penile carcinoma is an aggressive disease with catastrophic consequences that frequently lead to death. Therefore, further knowledge on the prognostic factors that can help identify patients in need of more aggressive treatments becomes essential. Objective To identify the prognostic factors for lymph node (LN) involvement and tumor recurrence in patients diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the penis (SCCP). Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted. Patients diagnosed and treated for SCCP at Instituto Nacional de Cancerología between 2008 and 2015 were included in the sample. Cases in which no information on recurrence was available for the follow-up were excluded, as well as patients with no initial pathology and those getting penile reconstructions after cancer.Relevant data was retrieved from the medical records of each patient, and a descriptive analysis was performed. Subsequently, this data was used to apply a logistic regression model to determine the potential clinical and histopathological prognostic factors. Results A total of 104 patients were included in the present study. The average age of the sample was 59 years, while the follow-up averaged 24 months per patient. Inguinal lymphadenectomy was performed on 61 patients (59%) during the follow-up. The logistic regression model showed that lymphovascular invasion (odds ratio [OR]: 6.7; 95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 1.2–35) and poor tumor differentiation (OR: 17; 95%CI: 3.2–92) were associated with tumor recurrence. Likewise, the lymphadenectomy procedures showed that lymphovascular invasion was associated with LN involvement (OR: 3.3; 95%CI: 1.1–10). Conclusion Lymphovascular invasion was the strongest prognostic factor observed in our sample, aiding in the prediction of inguinal LN involvement and tumor recurrence in SCCP patients.