Penile Cancer

Stages 

The stages of a cancer is a term used to describe the extent of a cancer within the body, including whether the disease has spread from the original site to other parts of the body.  Knowing the particular type and the stage of the cancer helps the doctors to decide on the most appropriate treatment. The doctor needs to know the stage of your disease to plan treatment. The following stages are used for cancer of the penis.

There are four stages of penile cancer. They are:

• Stage I - At the first stage cancer cells are found only on the surface of the glans (the head of the penis) and on the foreskin (the loose skin that covers the head of the penis).

• Stage II - In the second state the cells are found in the deeper tissues of the glans and have spread to the shaft of the penis  (the long, slender cylinders of tissue inside the penis that contain spongy tissue and expand to produce erections) 

• Stage III - At the third stage they are found in the penis and have spread to nearby lymph nodes in the groin   (Lymph nodes are small bean-shaped structures that are found throughout the body; they produce and store infection-fighting cells) and have spread to other parts of the body.

• Stage IV - In the fourth state the cancer cells are found throughout the penis and the lymph nodes in the groin area or  have spread to other parts of the body.

• Recurrent - Recurrent disease means that the cancer has come back (recurred) after it hasbeen treated. It may come back in the same area or in another place.