Surgical treatment of invasive penile cancer--the Heidelberg experience from 1968 to 1994.

Objectives: This study was performed to establish oncological guidelines for the surgical treatment of invasive penile cancer.

Materials And Methods: The medical records of 51 patients with invasive penile cancer seen between 1968 and 1994 were reviewed in respect to treatment and long-term outcome.

Results: For stage T1 tumors treated with organ-preserving procedures the local recurrence rats was 56%, whereas no patient experienced a local recurrence after partial amputation. For stage T2 tumors, local recurrence rate was 100% (organ preservation) versus 20% (amputative procedures). There was no significant difference related to regional recurrence between surveillance, inguinal radiation and lymphadenectomy for stage N0 tumors. For N+ stages, survival was related to the extent of inguinal metastasis after dissection (5-year survival rate for N1: 71 vs. 33% for N2/3).

Conclusions: Organ-preserving procedures include a high risk of local and regional recurrence. Adjuvant regional lymphadenectomy seems beneficial only in patients with solitary metastasis.