Penile Cancer Surgery

Question: Penile cancer or Psoriasis? I was diagnosed with penile cancer about 4 years ago.Since then I've had 4 separate surgeries to remove the cancer.Just 2 weeks ago I was sent to a dermatologist by my original phyician, the dermatologist did a biopsy of the affected area and he just got back to me with the results.He's now claiming that it may not be cancer, but psoriasis instead.He claims that psoriasis cells and cancer cells are so similar that he really cannot tell if I have penile cancer or psoriasis. After having chunks of my penis removed from prior surgeries I am shocked at this last diagnosis. Please help me. What should my next move be? Seriously, I am mentally and emotionally drained, not to mention rather deformed from the procedures that I thought were saving my life. I wonder if anyone out there has a simlar story or just some advice. Thanks so much, Mark

Answer: It is beyond me how this could happen. You should not be seeing a dermatologist for either condition and they certainly should not be giving you a diagnosis that should only be done by a pathologist. Take all of you pathology reports to a urologist or an oncologist and get to the bottom of it. You should never have to go through unnecessary surgeries or worry. Good luck.

Question: is this an std or skin condition? worried about penile cancer? For about a year now I've been dealing with a football shaped dark red spot near the tip of my penis as well as redness and irritation towards the base on one side. The condition worsens (overall redness, pain) with any sexual activity (sex - both with and without condoms and masturbation) and sometimes without any provocation. i tired a few steroid creams but it seems to just clear up the redness on the base for a day or two but then it comes back. i've recently spoken with an ex from a few years back who was diagnosed with cancerous cells in her cervix caused by HPV and underwent surgery to remove those cells. i had an outbreak of something about 3 years ago (doctor said it sounded like herpes) but it was gone in 3 days before i could get in to see a doctor and hasn't come back since. Is this some form of HPV and should i be worried that it could be cancerous? urologists have been no help thus far in identifying. Thanks for you help!

Answer: Because you have concerns and are worried, and rightly so, you need to see your doctor who is qualified, trained, and licensed to give you proper medical advice. People on this site are not. Good luck. Chow!!

Question: Is this an STD or just a skin condition? Worried about penile cancer...? For about a year now I've been dealing with a football shaped dark red spot near the tip of my penis as well as redness and irritation towards the base on one side. The condition worsens (overall redness, pain) with any sexual activity (sex - both with and without condoms and masturbation) and sometimes without any provocation. i tired a few steroid creams but it seems to just clear up the redness on the base for a day or two but then it comes back. i've recently spoken with an ex from a few years back who was diagnosed with cancerous cells in her cervix caused by HPV and underwent surgery to remove those cells. i had an outbreak of something about 3 years ago (doctor said it sounded like herpes) but it was gone in 3 days before i could get in to see a doctor and hasn't come back since. Is this some form of HPV and should i be worried that it could be cancerous? urologists have been no help thus far in identifying. Thanks for you help!

Answer: go get a blood test for the Herpes virus...it can detect the virus if you have it. You definitely have to see a doctor, your family doctor would be the best place to start in regards to this. He/She will be able to forward you on to another "type" of doctor if necessary. Concidering your ex's issues with HPV it would be wise to not let this go on for much longer! Yes, the idea of having a q-tip culture is not the most appealing thing in the world but concider the reprocussions if you don't take care of things NOW before it might become a situations of dire circumstances. Good Luck and my prayers are with you!

Question: HPV Penile Cancer Remission and Survival Rates? I am a male, 22, who was diagnosed at 21 to be 1 out of 600 a year to have penile cancer. The doctor said it is most likely from HPV, due to fact that there were genital warts in the area. There is no HPV test for males to prove that it is nor to show which strains I could have. I had the cancer removed with surgery and Aldera since it was in two places. I am wondering if it is known how the hpv penile cancer remission rates are and the survival rates? After a year I have yet to become immune to my own hpv strain(s) for some reason. Any answers or links to where I can research this specifically? Thank You - CD I forgot to add, I was diagnosed with Squamous cell carcinoma

Answer: You were very unlucky, and apparently your body has little immunity to the HPV virus that causes cancer. Condoms are in your future, for sure. You are lucky to have gone to the doctor in time to be treated. Invasive penile carcinomas are treated with penectomy. I assume that you did not have a sentinel node biopsy when you had your surgery. This involves injecting a tracer into the tumor and removing the first lymph node that takes up the tracer. If that node is cancer free, it is very good sign. Both MRI and CT scanning can demonstrate enlarged pelvic and retroperitoneal lymph nodes. Your doctor should have palpated your groin in search of enlarged nodes. I hope none were found. "Patients who are diagnosed with penile cancer have a variety of treatment options if the tumor is smaller than 2 cm and particularly if it is confined to the prepuce. The disease rarely occurs in circumcised men, particularly if they were circumcised as a neonate. Penile cancer tends to be a disease of older men, with an abrupt increase in incidence in men aged approximately 60 years; incidence peaks in men aged 80 years. However, the tumor is not unusual in younger men. The Jackson classification is as follows: Stage I (A): The tumor is confined to the glans, prepuce, or both. Stage II (B): The tumor extends onto the shaft of the penis. Stage III (C): The tumor has inguinal metastasis that is operable. Stage IV (D): The tumor involves adjacent structures and is associated with inoperable inguinal metastasis or distant metastasis. The mean time until death from cancer was 66.6 months for those with CIS (noninvasive cancer), 50.1 months for those with localized disease, 32.4 months for those with regional disease, and 7.4 months for those with distant metastases. Overall, 22.4% of the patients in this database died of this cancer." Note that you are lucky to be young and to have discovered your cancer in time to be treated. The typical patient is an old man who mainly uses his penis to urinate with, and is not likely to perform self-exam. Your survival chances are therefore much better than average. Having access to a good drug like Aldara is a big plus, too. In fact, you may be the youngest patient on record. Expect to read about your case in a journal some day. I think you have a less than 5% chance of getting killed by this cancer. "Prognosis is primarily related to the presence or absence of inguinal node metastasis. Untreated patients with inguinal metastases rarely survive 2 years. Of those with clinically palpable adenopathy and histologically proven metastases, 20-50% are alive at 5 years following inguinal lymphadenectomy. The results are even better when the extent of the nodal involvement is considered. An 82-88% 5-year survival rate has been reported when only 1-3 lymph nodes are involved. In 2001, Novak and Dvoaeek used interstitial brachytherapy (radiation implants)with iridium wires to treat 28 patients with squamous cell carcinoma. Six patients had Tis, 11 had T1N0, and 4 had T2N0. The prescribed dose of 0.6-0.65 Gy was delivered in 2-7 days. Local tumor control was evident in all patients at a mean follow-up of 65 months. Cancer has not recurred. In the future, patients with superficial penile cancers can expect effective treatment with either surgery or radiation therapy and can expect to retain a functioning penis. Those requiring more extensive resections or penectomy can undergo penile reconstruction, which has produced acceptable results." Good luck in your recovery!