Cancer Penis

Urogenital neoplasms spreading to the inguinal lymph nodes are penile carcinoma (the most frequent), urethral and scrotum cancers, tumors of the testis with scrotal violation. Penile carcinoma is an uncommon malignant disease and accounts for as many 0.4-0.6% of male cancers. Most patients are elder...ly. It rarely occurs in men under age 60 and its incidence increases progressively until it reaches a peak in the eighth decade 1. The risk of a lymph node invasion is greater with high grade and high stage tumors 2. Some investigators have reported the inaccuracy of the sentinel node biopsy 3, 4, described by Cabanas 5. Patients with metastatic lymph node penis cancer have a very poor prognosis if penectomy only is performed. Ilioinguinal lymphadenectomy is basically carried out as a treatment modality and not only as a staging act. Patients with lymph node invasion have a 30-40% cure rate. Ilioinguinal lymphadenectomy should be also performed in patients with disseminated neoplasms for the local control of the disease. The 5 years survival rate of patients with clinically negative lymph nodes treated with a modified inguinal lymphadenectomy is 88% versus 38% in patients not initially treated with lymphadenectomy 6. This video-tape clearly shows a therapeutic algorithm, the anatomy of the inguinal lymph nodes, according to Rouviere 7 and Daseler 8, the radical ilioinguinal node dissection with transposition of the sartorius muscle and the modified inguinal lymphadenectomy proposed by Catalona 9. References: 1. Lynch D.F. and Schellhammer P: Tumors of the penis. In Campbell’s Urology Seventh Edition, edited by Walsh P.C., Retik A.B., Darracott Vaughan E. and Wein A.J. W.B. Saunders Company, Vol. 3, chapt. 79, p. 2458, 1998. 2. Pizzocaro G., Piva L., Bandieramonte G., Tana S. Up-to-date management of carcinoma of the penis. Eur. Urol. 32: 5-15, 1997 3. Perinetti E., Crane D.B. and Catalona W.J. Unreliability of sentinel lymph node biopsy for staging penile carcinoma. J. Urol. 124: 734, 1980 4. Fowler J.E. Jr. Sentinel lymph node biopsy for staging penile cancer. Urology 23: 352, 1984 5. Cabanas R.M. An approach for the treatment of penile carcinoma. Cancer 39: 456, 1977 6. Russo P. and Gaudin P. Management strategies for carcinoma of the penis. Contemporary Urology;5:48-66, 2000 7. Rouviere H. Anatomy of the human lymphatic system. Edwards Brothers, p. 218, 1938 8. Daseler E.H., Anson B.J., Reimann A.F. Radical excision of the inguinal and iliac lymph glands: a study based on 450 anatomical dissections and upon supportive clinical observations. Surg. Gynecol. Obstet. 87: 679, 1948 9. Catalona W.J. Modified inguinal lymphadenectomy for carcinoma of the penis with preservation of saphenous veins: technique and preliminary results. J. Urol. 140: 306-310, 1988