Cancerous tumours of the penis
A cancerous tumour of the penis can grow into and destroy nearby tissue. It can also spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body.
Squamous cell carcinoma
The most common type of penile cancer is squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). SCC starts in the squamous cells of the penis. Squamous cells are flat, scale-like skin cells. About 95% of penile cancers are SCCs. SCC can develop anywhere on the penis, but most develop on the foreskin (in uncircumcised men) or under the foreskin (called the glans or head). This type of cancer is typically slow growing. When found early, it is often curable.
Verrucous carcinoma is an uncommon type of SCC. It can occur in many areas of the skin and can look like a genital wart. Verrucous carcinomas are usually slow growing, but they can sometimes get very large and spread deep into surrounding tissue. In rare cases, they spread to lymph nodes or other parts of the body.
Some other types of SCC of the penis include warty carcinoma, basaloid carcinoma and neuroendocrine carcinoma.
Rare penile tumours
The following cancerous tumours of the penis are rare:
- melanoma
- basal cell carcinoma
- sarcoma
- adenocarcinoma (also called Paget disease of the penis)