Centralization of specialized care for rare cancers can improve patient outcomes. Inguinal lymph node evaluation is the most important clinical aspect of penile cancer care and is often neglected in a decentralized setting. Centralization of care may reduce system delays, improve guideline adherence, provide access to a wider team of specialists, and improve prognosis, albeit with some inconveniences for patients. PATIENT SUMMARY: We reviewed evidence for the centralization of care for penile cancer. Patients may have to travel greater distances to receive specialized care in expert centers. However, centralization means that rare cancers can be treated by more experienced surgeons, which can yield better outcomes in terms of survival and penis-preserving or reconstruction surgery.
European urology focus. 2021 Sep 27 [Epub ahead of print]
Jakob K Jakobsen, Curtis A Pettaway, Benjamin Ayres
Department of Urology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark. Electronic address: ., Department of Urology, Division of Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA., Department of Urology, St George's University Hospitals NHS, London, UK.