If penile cancer spreads

Cancer cells can spread from the penis to other parts of the body. This spread is called metastasis.

Understanding how a type of cancer usually grows and spreads helps your healthcare team plan your treatment and future care. If penile cancer spreads, it can spread to the following:

lymph nodes in the groin and pelvis
lung
bone
soft tissues
liver
brain

American Joint Committee on Cancer. AJCC Cancer Staging Handbook. 7th ed. Chicago: Springer; 2010.
Brosman, SA. Medscape Reference: Penile Cancer. 2015: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/446554-overview.
National Cancer Institute. Penile Cancer Treatment (PDQ®). 2016: http://www.cancer.gov/.
Richter S, Ruether JD, Wood L, Canil C, Moretto P, et al . Management of carcinoma of the penis: consensus statement from the Canadian Association of Genitourinary Medical Oncologists (CAGMO). Canadian Urological Association Journal. 2013.
Trabulsi EJ, Gomell LG . Cancer of the urethra and penis. DeVita VT Jr, Lawrence TS, Rosenberg SA. Cancer: Principles & Practice of Oncology. 10th ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2015: 69:981-987.