carcinoma of the penis
Chapter: 17
A malignant neoplasm of the shaft or glans of the penis or the urethral meatus. It is rare in the US (less than 0.5% of all cancers in males) but common in South America, Africa and Asia. In areas such as Africa and regions of South America, penile carcinoma may comprise 10 20% of all malignant lesions. Penile carcinoma occurs most commonly in the sixth decade of life. Almost all tumors are histologically squamous cell carcinomas. The tumors may be exophytic or endophytic with superficial ulceration. The disease is virtually unheard of in males circumcised near birth. One theory postulates that smegma accumulation under the phimotic foreskin results in chronic inflammation leading to carcinoma.
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