Penile preserving and reconstructive surgery in the management of penile cancer

A major paradigm shift has occurred in the clinical management of penile cancer: the adoption of alternative, less-invasive surgical strategies to address the primary tumour. Such penile-preserving approaches aim to retain aspects of penile function and improve quality of life outcomes by reducing penile alterations and sexual dysfunction incurred by historical surgical approaches without compromising oncological control. Novel options include wide local excision, glansectomy, and glans resurfacing, and these strategies are now included in the spectrum of interventions available to treat penile cancer. Surgical reconstructive techniques have also advanced to include primary closure, closure using skin flaps and grafts, penile lengthening and/or enhancement, and neophalloplasty. All of these options can be readily applied in the risk-informed patient after establishing disease-risk variables and instituting protocols for close surveillance and prompt action for possible disease recurrence.