Penile (penis) cancer diagnosis

Staging penile (penis) cancer gives your doctors important details about the cancer. These details help them better understand the cancer's prognosis (its predicted course) and how it will respond to different treatments.

Penile cancer is rare—just 1 percent of cancers diagnosed in males in the U.S. are in the penis. At Penn Medicine, you benefit from a team of penile cancer specialists with extensive experience. We stage many penile cancers in our active program. Our experts use this experience to better inform your care.

Why penile cancer staging is important

Staging penile cancer gives your care team a wealth of information about the cancer. Understanding cancer down to the makeup of its cells helps us:

• Map the size, aggressiveness and growth of a cancer
• Compare your situation to other patients with penile cancer
• Gather the information needed to make informed treatment decisions
• Personalize treatments
• Give you more penile cancer treatment options by reviewing clinical studies on groups of patients in similar cancer stages

The stages of penile cancer are:

• Stage 0: In stage 0 penile cancer, the surface of the penis has abnormal cells or growths that look like warts.
• Stage I: Cancerous cells have formed and spread to connective tissues under the skin of the penis.
• Stage II: Cancer has spread to the connective tissues under the surface of the penis. It may also have spread to lymph nodes, erectile tissue or the urethra (tube-like organ that drains urine from the bladder).
• Stage III: The cancer has spread outside the penis to lymph nodes in the groin. It has also spread to connective tissue, erectile tissue, the urethra or more lymph nodes outside the groin.
• Stage IV: The cancer has spread beyond the penis to tissues near the penis, such as the prostate. It has also spread to one or more lymph nodes in the pelvis or other areas of the body.

How we stage penile cancer

We stage penile cancer using blood tests, biopsies and imaging tests. Radiologists (imaging specialists) and pathologists (lab specialists) review your cells and images.

Radiologists at Penn Medicine specialize in urologic cancers. They regularly see penile cancers at every stage. This focus gives them insights that others don't have, leading to more effective treatment plans.

At Penn Medicine you benefit from a multidisciplinary team of urologic cancer specialists. These experts include urologists, urologic surgeons, radiologists (imaging specialists) and pathologists (lab specialists)—all with special expertise in penile cancer. They work together to get you a timely, detailed diagnosis.

You can expect:

• Experienced penile cancer specialists: A urologic oncologist is a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating urologic cancers like penis cancer. At Penn Medicine, our urologic oncologists lead the way in developing new penis cancer treatments. They use the lessons learned while curing and treating large numbers of penis cancers to improve your care.
• Urologic cancer radiologists: To diagnose penile cancers, your doctor may order imaging tests. Radiologists are the doctors who review your images. At Penn Medicine, our radiologists subspecialize in urologic cancers. They use their deep understanding of every stage of penile cancer to identify key details that improve treatment.
• Pathologists who specialize in urologic cancers: Getting details about the cancer type and predicted behavior helps doctors create effective treatment plans. Our pathologists are experts in urologic cancers. This special knowledge means they can uncover details that better tailor treatments to you.
• Timely diagnoses: Our urologic cancer advanced practice providers (APPs) make it easier for you to get a timely diagnosis. As leaders in urologic cancer care, they know the right diagnostic tests to use for your situation. They make sure your doctors have the information they need to get you answers quickly.
• Comprehensive treatments: If you are diagnosed with penile cancer, we develop a treatment plan customized specifically to you. We offer every penile cancer surgery, including options that lead to fewer complications and shorter recoveries. We also offer immunotherapy and chemotherapy creams and the latest, safest radiation therapies. Learn about our penile cancer treatment options.
• Expertise in preserving sexual and urinary function: Our team includes reconstructive urologists who specialize in restoring and maintaining penis appearance, sexual performance and the ability to urinate. These surgeons team up with our urologic oncologists and dermatologists to treat the cancer while preserving your quality of life.