When is tumour removal surgery recommended for penile cancer?

The team examines the penis and usually confirms the diagnosis with a biopsy. They assess the tumour’s position, size, depth and relationship to the urethra and nearby tissues. A small, accessible lesion may be treated with a local procedure, while a deeper or more extensive tumour may require removal of part or all of the penis. The goal is to remove the cancerous tissue while considering urination, sexual function and appearance.

The groin lymph nodes may also need assessment because penile cancer can spread there. Whether this involves examination, imaging, sampling or a separate procedure depends on the tumour’s features and the clinical findings. Other treatments may be considered before or after surgery.

Seek review from a urologist or specialist cancer team and bring a clear history of any sore, lump, bleeding, discharge or skin change. Do not delay an examination because a lesion is painless. Ask what the biopsy shows, what operation is proposed, how urination will work afterward, and whether reconstruction or lymph-node assessment is part of the plan.

Arrange prompt assessment for a penile sore, growth, bleeding, persistent discharge, a change in colour or thickening, or a wound that does not heal. Seek urgent help if you cannot pass urine, have heavy bleeding, rapidly increasing swelling or severe pain. These symptoms need examination; they do not by themselves confirm cancer.

Ask whether the tumour can be removed locally, what margin is needed, and how the operation may change urination, erections, sensation or appearance. Discuss wound care, recovery, sexual wellbeing, lymph-node assessment and whether another treatment is recommended before or after surgery.