About Penile Cancer
Penile cancer is a rare type of cancer that starts in the skin or tissues of the penis. Most penile cancers are squamous cell carcinomas, meaning they begin in the flat skin cells that cover the penis. It is highly curable if caught early.
Risk Factors
- HPV Infection: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is strongly linked to penile cancer.
- Not being circumcised: Men who are not circumcised at birth have a higher risk.
- Phimosis: A condition where the foreskin is tight and cannot be pulled back.
- Smoking: Tobacco use increases risk.
Symptoms
- A growth, lump, or sore on the penis that doesn't heal within 4 weeks.
- Any rash or change in the color of the penis skin.
- A foul-smelling discharge under the foreskin.
- Swollen lymph nodes in the groin.
Treatments
Partial Penectomy
This surgery involves removing only the tip of the penis containing the cancer, while preserving as much of the healthy shaft as possible. This allows for normal urination while standing and often preserves sexual function.
Robotic VEIL (Video Endoscopic Inguinal Lymphadenectomy)
If penile cancer spreads, it usually travels to the lymph nodes in the groin (inguinal lymph nodes) first. Removing these nodes is critical for staging and curing the disease.
Traditionally, removing these nodes required a large, long incision in the groin crease, which carried high risks of wound breakdown, infection, and delayed healing due to the location.
Robotic VEIL is a minimally invasive alternative. Instead of a large groin cut, your surgeon uses the da Vinci robot through 3 tiny keyhole incisions placed lower on the thigh to remove the groin lymph nodes.
Why choose Robotic VEIL?
- Markedly lower rate of wound complications (infections, skin breakdown).
- Smaller, less visible scars on the thigh rather than the groin crease.
- Faster healing and shorter hospital stay.
- Equal oncological safety to open surgery for removing cancerous lymph nodes.