Neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by aggressive surgical consolidation for metastatic penile squamous cell carcinoma

PURPOSE: Combination chemotherapy for advanced penile cancer can produce partial response rates of up to 64%. Complete responses are rare, suggesting a need for adjunct therapies to facilitate cure. We evaluated patients with metastases who underwent surgical consolidation after responding to chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed the records of 59 patients with advanced penile carcinoma treated from 1985 to 2000 and identified 10 treated with surgical consolidation after demonstrating a stable, partial or complete response to chemotherapy. Presenting tumor burden included pelvic and inguinal metastases. Surgical outcomes and survival were assessed. RESULTS: After chemotherapy 4 patients had a complete response, 1 had a partial response and 5 had stable disease. Three major perioperative complications, including postoperative bleeding, an episode of acute renal failure and deep venous thrombosis in 1 patient each, and 4 minor complications, including skin breakdowns in 3 and wound seroma in 1, occurred. Three cases were rendered pN0. All 3 patients received ifosfamide, paclitaxel and cisplatin chemotherapy. Seven patients had 3 or fewer metastatic lymph nodes following surgery, of whom 4 showed no disease and 3 died. All 3 patients with greater than 3 metastatic lymph nodes died. For all patients the 5-year actuarial survival rate was 40% with a median survival of 26 months. Patients with 3 or fewer and greater than 3 positive nodes had a median survival of 48 and 23 months, respectively (p = 0.116). CONCLUSIONS: Select patients with metastatic penile cancer that shows disease stabilization or a response to chemotherapy should be considered for surgical consolidation to extend survival.