Prognosis and survival for penile cancer
A prognosis is the doctor’s best estimate of how cancer will affect you and how it will respond to treatment. Survival is the percentage of people with a disease who are alive at some point in time after their diagnosis. Prognosis and survival depend on many factors, including certain aspects of the cancer (such as its stage) as well as characteristics of the person (such as their age and family history). These are called prognostic factors.
Only a doctor familiar with your medical history, the type and stage and other features of the cancer, the treatments chosen and the response to treatment can put all of this information together with survival statistics to arrive at a prognosis and chances of survival.
The following are prognostic factors for penile cancer.
Stage
The most important prognostic factor for penile cancer is its stage. Penile cancer that is diagnosed at an early stage has a better prognosis than penile cancer that is diagnosed in advanced stages (the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes or other organs).
Spread to lymph nodes in the groin
For penile cancer that has spread to lymph nodes in the groin (inguinal lymph nodes), cancer that has spread to only one lymph node has a better prognosis than cancer that has spread to more than one lymph node.
Tumour size
For penile cancer that has not spread to lymph nodes or other organs, tumours that are 3 cm or larger have a poorer prognosis than tumours smaller than 3 cm.
Grade
Lower grade penile cancers usually have a better prognosis than those with a higher grade. Tumours on the foreskin or the head of the penis (glans) tend to be lower grade. Tumours that affect the shaft of the penis tend to be a higher grade.
Association with HPV infection
Survival statistics for penile cancer
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