Types of treatment for cancer of the penis

This page tells you about how doctors plan treatment for penile cancer (cancer of the penis) and outlines the main treatments. You can find out about

A quick guide to what's on this page
Planning treatment
Second opinions
Treating carcinoma in situ (CIS)
Treating penile cancer

Types of treatment for cancer of the penis

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommends that anyone with penile cancer is referred to a specialist team. Because penile cancer is rare, the specialist may not be at your nearest hospital. When planning your treatment your specialist will take into account the type and size of the cancer, your general health, your age, and the stage and grade of your cancer.

Treating carcinoma in situ (CIS)

This is the earliest stage of penile cancer when the cancer cells are contained within the tissue that lines the penis, and have not spread anywhere else. These are really pre cancerous cell changes. Treatments for CIS aim to keep the penis looking and working normally. You might have creams or minor surgery.

Treatments for penile cancer

For penile cancer that is not in the very earliest stage, you may have surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy. You may need just one of these treatments or a combination of treatments. Surgery is usually the main treatment.

CR PDF Icon You can view and print the quick guides for all the pages in the treating penile cancer section.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommends that anyone with penile cancer is referred to a specialist team. Because penile cancer is a rare cancer, it may be that the specialist is not at your nearest hospital and you may have to travel some distance to see them.

There are a number of factors that help your specialists plan your treatment

The type and size of the cancer
Whether the cancer has spread (the stage)
What the cancer cells look like under the microscope (the grade)
Your general health
Your age

You may find other people you meet are having different treatment from you. This may be because some of the factors above are different. Don't be afraid to ask your doctor or nurse any questions you have about your treatment. It often helps to write down a list of questions you want to ask. You could also take a close friend or relative with you when you go to see the doctor - they can help you remember what was said. There is a list of questions you can ask your doctor about treatment in this section.

Some people want to get an opinion from another doctor before they decide about their treatment. If you would like a second opinion, you can ask your specialist or your GP. It can be better to arrange a second opinion through your specialist because then all your notes and test results go to the appointment with you.

Note: A second opinion means just that. It does not mean that the second doctor will take over your care. Your original specialist will still manage your treatment.

This is the earliest stage of penile cancer when the cancer cells are contained within the tissue that lines the penis, and have not spread anywhere else. These are really pre cancerous cell changes. Doctors might also call it penile intraepithelial neoplasia. There is more about penile carcinoma in situ in the about penile cancer section.

There are various treatments doctors can use to treat penile CIS. These treatments all aim to keep the penis looking and working normally. Which treatment you have will depend on what you prefer, your surgeon’s recommendations, and which treatments are available at your hospital.

You might have

Creams
Minor surgery

Creams

Your doctor may suggest treatment with cream to the affected area. This might be chemotherapy cream - such as fluorouracil (5FU). Or a cream called imiquimod which uses the immune system to treat cancer. There is more information about imiquimod in the skin cancer section.

Minor surgery

You might have laser therapy to the affected area. Some surgeons may use cryotherapy. Or you may have an operation to remove the affected skin, followed by a skin graft. There is more information about these treatments in the section on operations for penile cancer.

For penile cancer that is not in the very earliest stage, you may have

The links above will take you to more detailed information on each of these treatments. The treatment you need will depend on the stage and grade of the cancer. You may need just one of these treatments or a combination of treatments. Surgery is usually the main treatment.