What Is Penile Cancer? Symptoms and Treatment

What Is Penile Cancer?

Penile cancer is a type of cancer that affects the penis and other male sexual organs. Cancer of the sexual organs rare cancers is one of these and is often easy to treat when diagnosed early.

Read on to learn more about the causes, symptoms and treatment of penile cancer.

According to United States figures, this rare cancer affects one in every 100 thousand men, accounting for less than %1 of male cancer cases. In 2018, approximately 2,320 new cases were diagnosed in the United States, and approximately 380 deaths due to penile cancer were estimated.

Penile cancer develops on or within the penis, an organ composed of many different types of cells. The type of cell in which the cancer originates is the main determinant of treatment. However, penile cancer most commonly begins to develop in the skin of the penis and is often skin cancer of the sexual organ also called this.

The most common type of penile cancer occurs in squamous cells, which are skin cells. This type of cancer usually begins at the tip of the penis or in the foreskin of uncircumcised men.

Squamous cell carcinoma tends to spread slowly and is usually easy to treat when caught in the early stages.

Less Common Penile Cancers Include:

• Verrucous carcinoma : A growth resembling a large genital wart.
• Carcinoma in situ (CIS) : The earliest stage of squamous cell cancer, which does not penetrate deeper into the penis.
• Melanoma : A type of skin cancer that can occur on the penis.
• Basal cell carcinoma : Another type of skin cancer that can develop on the penis.
• Adenocarcinoma : A rare type of cancer that forms in the sweat glands of the penis.
• Sarcoma : A very rare type of penile cancer affecting the connective tissue, muscles and blood vessels within the penis.

Causes and Risk Factors of Penile Cancer

Although the exact causes of penile cancer are unclear, some possible risk factors have been identified:

• body fluids becoming trapped in the foreskin
• exposure to human papillomavirus (HPV)
• AIDS

Some men face a greater risk of penile cancer than others.

Common Risk Factors Include:

• being over 65 years old
• smoking
• being uncircumcised

What Are the Symptoms of Penile Cancer?

Early signs and symptoms of penile cancer may indicate other problems that are much more common than cancer (in other words, a skin problem on the penis is usually not cancer). Nevertheless, anyone concerned about their symptoms should speak to a doctor, because early diagnosis increases the likelihood of successful treatment.

Signs and symptoms of penile cancer include:

• a lump in the skin or swelling in the sexual organ
• changes in skin color at the tip or shaft of the penis
• formation of an ulcer that may bleed
• thickening of the skin
• spiky crusting of the skin
• foul-smelling discharge
• bleeding beneath the foreskin
• beneath the foreskin a red patch on the sexual organ, a rash
• a bluish-brown growth

If the cancer spreads, it usually first metastasizes to the regional lymph nodes, which may cause them to swell.

Diagnosis of Penile Cancer

The process begins with a physical examination of the penis and the patient's medical history. The skin of the penis is examined, and possible swelling in the lymph nodes is also checked.

If a suspicious growth is detected, an incisional biopsy, which removes a small tissue sample; an excisional biopsy, which involves removing the entire lesion on the penis; or a lymph node biopsy, which involves taking a tissue sample from the lymph nodes, may be performed. Computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging or ultrasound may also be requested to determine the extent of tumor spread.

Treatment of Penile Cancer

The choice of treatment will depend on the cancer's cell type and stage .

Treatment of early-stage penile cancer may include one or more of the following:

• laser treatment to cut away the affected area
• medicated creams
• cryotherapy to freeze affected areas
• circumcision, when the cancer is in the foreskin
• Mohs surgery, or surgical removal of the affected layers of skin

If the cancer has reached a more advanced stage, systemic treatment methods are likely to be selected:

• removal of some or all of the lymph nodes
• radiotherapy
• chemotherapy
• penectomy, surgery to remove part or all of the penis

Systemic Chemotherapy for Advanced Penile Cancer

Systemic chemotherapy uses cancer-killing drugs injected into a vein or given by mouth. These drugs travel through the bloodstream and reach cancer cells throughout the body. This treatment is often used for penile cancers that have spread to the lymph nodes or distant organs. Chemotherapy may also be used before surgery to shrink tumors and make them easier to remove (neoadjuvant treatment). After surgery (adjuvant chemotherapy), it may also be administered to reduce the risk of the cancer returning.

Some of the drugs used to treat penile cancer include:

• Cisplatin
• Fluorouracil (5-FU)
• Paclitaxel
• Ifosfamide
• Mitomycin C
• Capecitabine

Often, 2 or more of these drugs are used together to treat advanced penile cancer. Some common combinations include:

• Cisplatin plus 5-FU
• TIP: paclitaxel, ifosfamide and cisplatin

Disease Outcomes in Penile Cancer

A 5-year survival rate means the percentage of people who are still alive 5 years after their diagnosis. Relative survival rates compare the survival rate of people with a particular disease with that of people in the general population who do not have the disease.

The 5-year relative survival rates for penile cancer are:

• For stages 1 and 2, in which the cancer remains confined to the penis, it is 85 percent.
• For cancer that has spread to nearby tissues such as lymph nodes (stage 3 and some stage 4 cancers), it is 59 percent.
• For stage 4, in which the cancer has spread to distant organs, it is 11 percent.

However, because the disease is relatively rare, there is a lack of research on survival rates for penile cancer.

Early diagnosis leads to the best outcome. Treatment options in the early stages are less invasive (interventional) and allow faster recovery.

Anyone experiencing any symptoms of penile cancer should speak to a doctor as soon as possible.