Penile cancer develops when malignant cells in your penis grow out of control. Your penis is a rod-shaped reproductive organ that allows you to pee and have sex. Its main parts include the rod-like part (shaft) that extends from your low belly to the tip of your penis, called the head, or glans. If you’re uncircumcised, a layer of skin called the foreskin covers the head. If you’re not circumcised, the head of your penis is exposed.
Ninety-five percent of penile cancers are squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). This type of cancer forms in the top part of your skin layer called the epithelium. Other, less common types of penile cancer form in different types of tissue:
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC): Cancer begins in the bottom layer of your epithelium. BCC is a slow-growing form of penile cancer.
Melanoma: This cancer begins in cells that control how dark or light your skin is, called melanocytes. Melanoma is a more aggressive form of cancer.
Sarcoma: Cancer develops in muscle or connective tissue. It’s an extremely rare form of penile cancer.
Your treatment will depend on the size of the tumor, whether it’s spread and how likely it is that the cancer will return (recur) after treatment.
For cancer that’s in earlier stages, your healthcare provider may recommend one or a combination of the following treatments:
Laser ablation: This procedure uses lasers that create extreme heat to destroy the tumor.
Cryotherapy: This procedure uses extreme cold to destroy the tumor.
Mohs surgery: During this procedure, your healthcare provider removes cancerous skin layer by layer until arriving at the healthy tissue underneath.
Excision: Your healthcare provider may cut the cancer cells or tumor from your penis.
Radiation therapy: Your healthcare provider may use energy beams, like X-rays, to destroy cancer cells or shrink a tumor before surgery.
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