Introduction: Penile cancer is a malignant disease that has an uneven geographical distribution. Brazil is one of the countries with the highest incidence of penile cancer, although epidemiological studies are rare. Poor hygiene, the presence of phimosis, HPV infection, and low socioeconomic status seem to be some important risk factors. The objective of this study is to know the clinical and epidemiological data on new cases of penile cancer in the state of Pernambuco, located in the northeast region of Brazil, and contribute to the national study of the Brazilian Society of Urology.
Methods: We selected from a plethora of new penile cancer cases diagnosed from August 2008 to June 2009, at the department of urology of 5 referral hospitals of the National Health System. Interviews were conducted with a clinical, epidemiological questionnaire adapted from the questionnaire used by the SBU in the first epidemiological study of penile cancer. All patients gave written, informed consent for inclusion in the sample. This study was approved by the ethics committees of the institutions involved.
Results: In 11 months of the study, 32 new cases of penile cancer were enrolled and analyzed in 5 referral hospitals in Pernambuco. The average age of lesion diagnosis was 59.2 years (SD ± 14.3 years), with 50% of cases diagnosed in patients over 60 years. Regarding schooling, 92% were illiterate or had only a primary level of schooling, and none advanced beyond the second grade. Assessing the antecedents and habits, it was found that 8 patients (32%) had at least 1 case of a lifelong STD, 14 patients (56%) reported a history of phimosis, and only 4 (16%) underwent circumcision, 3 of which during adulthood. Smoking was an addiction reported by 56.2% of patients. The average time between the appearance of the lesion and the diagnosis of penile cancer was higher than 10 months.
Conclusion: Penile cancer in referral hospitals of Pernambuco usually involves men older than 60 years, with low education, a history of smoking, uncircumcised genitalia, and with delayed access to specialized medical care. It is necessary to create campaigns for the prevention and guidance of this most affected population.
KEYWORDS: Circumcision; Epidemiology; Penile cancer; Phimosis; Risk factors
CORRESPONDENCE: Marina de Andrade Lima Arcoverde, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil ( ).
CITATION: UroToday Int J. 2012 Feb;5(1):art 91.
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3834/uij.1944-5784.2012.02.09