Interstitial radiation therapy for carcinoma of the penis using iridium 192 wires: The Henri Mondor experience (1970–1979)

Irradiation of regionally advanced carcinoma of the penis

“…Mazeron reported uncontrolled metastatic nodes in 4/5 patients after selective dissection of enlarged nodes (2 patients) or groin dissection (3 patients) and postoperative inguinal irradiation with Co 60 and electrons applied in 4/5 patients. 5 Four patients from our study may well be a proof of the efficiency and of acceptable chronic toxicity of postoperative irradiation. All four, though they were treated with macroscopic radical lymphadenectomy, were also irradiated postoperatively because of extranodal tumour extension and numerous positive nodes.…”

“…2 Radiotherapy is usually indicated when patients do not wish to have their penis removed. [3][4][5] However, it is also considered in the patients who have the disease in regionally advanced stage and in whom, ac-cording to the urologist's estimates, the tumour is inoperable, or the resection of the enlarged lymph nodes was not radical, or post-lymphadenectomy recurrence is diagnosed. The data on what treatment results can be expected in these patients are very scarce.…”

Local Treatment ofPenile Squamous Cell Carcinoma

“…Local recurrence rate after external beam radiotherapy ranges from 15% up to 61% of cases with an organ functional preservation of 39-85% (table 3) [23,24,[38][39][40][41][42]. Better results have been reported after iridium brachytherapy: local recurrence percentage was 5-22% of cases and it was possible to obtain a penile preservation in 39-85% of cases (table 4) [25,[43][44][45][46][47].…”

Current Treatment Options for Carcinoma of the Penis

“…In elderly patients, the lengthy treatment of 3-6 weeks, followed by several months of morbidity favors partial or total penectomy [9]. Furthermore, careful long-term follow-up is necessary to prevent progressive recurrences, which occur in more than 50% of all patients after more than 2 years [54], In comparison to conventional surgery, local control of the primary tumor is less probable and the risk of delayed lymphatic spread is increased under or after insuffi cient radiation [9.55j. In advanced and surgically uncontrollable disease palliation with temporary tumor regression and decrease in pain and bleeding may be achieved by radiation alone [14,41], In stage T2 tumors or stage T3 tumors with involvement of the proximal shaft, total penectomy assures complete removal of cancer with the least chance of local recurrence [56], Conven ient micturition is achieved by perineal urethrostomy [9], In the case of more advanced malignancies with local exten sion to the scrotum or pubis complete emasculation or even hemipelvectomy or hemicorporectomy may be considered in well-selected patients [57],…”