Surgical treatment of advanced penile cancer

Ke Zhang,Wenzhi Li,Juan Zhou,Huan Xu,Ming-Xi Xu,Zhong Wang,Xiang Wan,Hai-Jun Yao

doi:10.1007/s00432-017-2435-1

Abstract

PurposeTo evaluate the therapeutic effect of surgery in patients with advanced penile cancer, who have a dismal prognosis.Patients and methodsBetween September 2007 and July 2015, we treated 12 patients with surgical therapy.ResultsThe median follow-up period for all the patients was 16 months (range 4–60 months). The outcome and concomitant symptoms were analyzed, and the survival rates were calculated. Three of the patients are currently alive. The median overall survival of the patients was 9 months (range 4–13 months).ConclusionThe present results suggest that surgery is a valuable treatment option for patients with advanced penile cancer. The prognosis of advanced penile cancer is closely related to lymph node and distant metastases. Flap repair can solve the problem of large area skin defect. Advanced penile cancer is difficult to treat regardless of chemotherapy or radiotherapy, and surgery cannot prolong the lives of patients. However, the dissection of lesions and repair of large area skin defects can dramatically improve the quality of life of patients, especially those with locally advanced disease without distant metastasis.

Highlights

Penile cancer (PC) is an uncommon malignant tumor, with around 4000 cases diagnosed each year, accounting for less than 0.5% of all cancers (Mosconi et al 2005)
The focus of this article is advanced penile cancer which can be defined as bulky lymph node metastases, failed primary lymphadenectomy leading progression to nodal metastases, matted or bulky lymphadenopathy, 2 metastatic superficial and deep inguinal lymph nodes, metastatic pelvic lymph node (N3), local erosion to pubic bone, abdominal wall, or pelvis (T4), and distant metastases (M1) (Heinlen et al 2012)
After Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, we identified 12 patients who underwent surgical treatment for advanced penile cancer at our hospital

Summary

Introduction

Penile cancer (PC) is an uncommon malignant tumor, with around 4000 cases diagnosed each year, accounting for less than 0.5% of all cancers (Mosconi et al 2005). It is rare in Western countries, but not in developing countries (Micali et al 2006). The condition is even worse, such as in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of South America, where it accounts for around 10% of all male malignancies (Heinlen et al 2012). The focus of this article is advanced penile cancer which can be defined as bulky lymph node metastases (cN2 or cN3), failed primary lymphadenectomy leading progression to nodal metastases, matted or bulky lymphadenopathy (cN3), 2 metastatic superficial and deep inguinal lymph nodes (pN2), metastatic pelvic lymph node (N3), local erosion to pubic bone, abdominal wall, or pelvis (T4), and distant metastases (M1) (Heinlen et al 2012)

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Results

Conclusion