Read article About radiotherapy for penile cancer
This page tells you about radiotherapy for cancer of the penis. You can find out about
About radiotherapy for penile cancer
Radiotherapy uses high energy waves to kill cancer cells. You usually have radiotherapy for penile cancer externally (from the outside of your body). But you can also have it internally – this is when radioactive material is placed on or inside the penis, next to the tumour.
When is radiotherapy used?
Surgery is the main treatment for penile cancer but you may have radiotherapy
- Instead of surgery if you can’t, or really don’t want to, have an operation
- Instead of surgery to lymph nodes in the groin or after surgery if there is a risk some cancer cells have been left in the groin
- To treat the lymph nodes in the pelvis if there is a high risk of the cancer coming back
- To relieve symptoms
For penile cancer, you usually have radiotherapy and chemotherapy together (combination therapy).
Radiotherapy to relieve symptoms
You may have radiotherapy to relieve the symptoms of advanced penile cancer. This is also called palliative radiotherapy. You usually have a short course of daily treatment, over a few days.
You can view and print the quick guides for all the pages in the treating penile cancer section.
Radiotherapy uses high energy waves to kill cancer cells. These are like X-rays. But they can kill cancer cells while doing far less damage to normal body tissues. You cannot feel radiotherapy when you have it. But a course of radiotherapy will usually have some side effects.
Radiotherapy for penile cancer is usually given externally (from the outside of your body). But it may be given internally - this is when radioactive material is placed on or inside the penis, next to the tumour.
Surgery is the main treatment for penile cancer but you may have radiotherapy
- Instead of surgery if you can’t, or really don’t want to, have an operation
- Instead of surgery to lymph nodes in the groin or after surgery if there is a risk some cancer cells have been left in the groin
- To treat the lymph nodes in the pelvis if there is a high risk of the cancer coming back
- To relieve symptoms
For penile cancer, you usually have radiotherapy and chemotherapy together (combination therapy).
You may have radiotherapy to relieve the symptoms of advanced penile cancer. This is also called palliative radiotherapy. Radiotherapy can shrink the cancer for a time and so may relieve symptoms that are due to pressure from the tumour, for example. You usually have a short course of daily treatment to the affected area, over a few days.
The radiotherapy section tells you more about this type of treatment, including
There are books and booklets about radiotherapy, some of which are free. Look at our penile cancer reading list.
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