Pathology
- A. Precancerous Dermatologic Lesions
- B. Carcinoma in Situ (Bowen's disease, Erythroplasia of Queyrat)
- C. Invasive Carcinoma of the Penis
Like many malignancies, penile cancer can spread to other parts of the body. It is usually a primary malignancy, the initial place from which a cancer spreads in the body. Much less often it is a secondary malignancy, one in which the cancer has spread to the penis from elsewhere. The staging of penile cancer is determined by the extent of tumor invasion, nodal metastasis, and distant metastasis. The AJCC staging guidelines are as follows:
- Stage I - The cancer is moderately or well differentiated and only affects the subepithelial connective tissue.
- Stage II - The cancer is poorly differentiated, affects lymphatics, or invades the corpora or urethra.
- Stage IIIa - There is deep invasion into the penis and metastasis in one lymph node.
- Stage IIIb - There is deep invasion into the penis and metastasis into multiple inguinal lymph nodes
- Stage IV - The cancer has invaded into structures adjacent to the penis, metastasized to pelvic nodes, or distant metastasis is present.
Prognosis can range considerably for patients, depending where on the scale they have been staged. Generally speaking, the earlier the cancer is diagnosed, the better the prognosis. The overall 5-year survival rate for all stages of penile cancer is about 50%.
Read more about this topic: Carcinoma Of The Penis
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