Treatment for penile cancer depends on the size of the affected area and the rate at which the cancer has spread.
For example, in most cases of carcinoma in situ (CIS), where only the skin cells of the penis are affected, treatment usually involves either using a chemotherapy cream or having laser surgery to remove the affected area of skin.
You'll usually have a skin graft after surgery.
The main treatments for later-stage penile cancer are:
surgery
radiotherapy
chemotherapy
Surgery involves removing the cancerous cells and possibly some of the surrounding tissue.
In most cases, any physical changes to your penis after an operation can be corrected with reconstructive surgery.
Skin and muscle can be taken from elsewhere in the body to recreate a functioning penis.
But with early diagnosis and modern surgical techniques, your surgeon will usually be able to preserve as much penile tissue as possible.
As part of most treatments for penile cancer, the lymph glands (small organs that are part of the immune system) in the groin will be assessed to determine if the cancer has spread.
In some cases, the lymph glands may need to be surgically removed.
As with most types of cancer, the outlook for individual cases depends largely on how far the cancer has advanced at the time of diagnosis.