Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) is a low-risk penile cancer management option. However, contemporary patients' short-term oncologic control and preoperative characteristics predicting reconstruction needs are undefined. This study assesses MMS's oncologic efficacy for low-risk penile cancer and identifies baseline predictors of post-resection reconstruction referral.
We retrospectively reviewed 73 adult males with 78 penile cutaneous malignancies treated with MMS from 2005 to 2019. Patients underwent MMS with or without surgical reconstruction. Demographic information, MMS operative details, lesion pathology, and short-term outcomes were recorded. Descriptive statistics for all variables were calculated, and logistic regression identified predictive factors for urologic referral for complex reconstruction.
Seventy-three men with 78 lesions, all staged ≤ cT1a prior to MMS, were identified. Twenty-one men were found to have invasive SCC. Median follow-up was 2.0 years (IQR 0.8-5.2 years). MMS was able to clear the disease in 90.4% of cases. One patient had disease related death following progression. Dermatology closed primarily in 68% of patients. Twenty percent of patients had a complication, most commonly poor wound healing. On univariate and multivariate linear regression analysis, lesion size > 3 cm and involvement of the glans independently predicted the need for referral to a reconstructive surgeon.
MMS for penile cancer appears to provide sound oncologic control in the properly selected patient. Involvement of a reconstructive surgeon may be needed for glandular and large lesions, necessitating early referral to a comprehensive multidisciplinary care team.
International urology and nephrology. 2024 Jun 26 [Epub ahead of print]
Brian D Cortese, Raju Chelluri, Alexander J Skokan, Leilei Xia, David A Ostrowski, Daniel S Roberson, Lauren Schwartz, Daniel J Lee, Tess M Lukowiak, Thomas J Guzzo, S Bruce Malkowicz, Christopher J Miller, R Caleb Kovell
Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA., Department of Urology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA., Department of Urology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA., University of Southern California Institute of Urology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA., Department of Surgery, Division of Urology, University of Pennsylvania Health System, 800 Walnut Street, Urology Offices, Philadelphia, PA, USA., Department of Pathology, University of Pennsylvania Health System, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA., Department of Dermatology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson, Somerset, NJ, USA., Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania Health System, Philadelphia, PA, USA., Department of Surgery, Division of Urology, University of Pennsylvania Health System, 800 Walnut Street, Urology Offices, Philadelphia, PA, USA. .