Carcinoma of the Penis

Sixty-three patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the penis have been reviewed. The 3 year survival was 77%, and the 5 year survival was 59%. Prognosis was related to both clinical staging and histological grading. Stage I and II carcinomas were best treated by surgery alone. Stage III and IV carcinomas were best treated by local amputation of the penis combined with radiotherapy to the inguinal nodes. Surgery as a primary treatment for clinically positive nodes was successful in less than half the cases treated, and in this series was always followed by wound infection and lymphoedema. Tender, enlarged inguinal lymph nodes should be observed for up to 3 months following primary treatment, as a large percentage of these nodes are inflammatory and subside spontaneously.