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Home » Oncology » Oncology – Penile » Pre-malignant lesions & topical treatment

Pre-malignant lesions & topical treatment

  • Penile epithelial neoplasia (PeIN) / carcinoma in situ = Any level of intraepithelial squamous cell atypia and alteration in squamous cell maturation
    • Erythroplasia of Queyrat – on glans / prepuce
    • Bowen disease – on skin of shaft
    • Above = progress to invasive SCC 10 – 33 % of cases
    • Bowenoid papulosis – pigmented papules in younger men – more likely benign
  • BXO / lichen sclerosis
  • Cutaneous horn
  • Bowenoid papulosis

Histology of PeIN/CIS – atypical hyperplastic mucosal cells, hyperchromatic nuclei, multilevel mitotic figures, elongated bulbous rete, angiogenesis of submucosa.

 

PeIN clinical features

Usually a reddened, raised area.

May also be scaly erythema, crusted or ulcerated variants, or velvety well marginated lesions.

Any persisting erythematous lesion or penile lesion should raise suspicion of PeIN.

 

Treatment options:

Adequate biopsy and histopathological confirmation to exclude invasion. Consider circumcision prior to any topical treatments.

  1. Primary excision with 5 mm margins
  2. Topical chemotherapeutic agents
  3. Glans resurfacing
  4. Laser ablation with CO2 or Nd:YAG laser

 

Topical treatment

5 fluorouracil cream 5 % (Efudix)

  • Pyrimidine analogue which disrupts DNA synthesis
  • Apply BD for 2 – 6 weeks, with gloved finger or wash hands straight after
  • Will cause local inflammatory reaction

Imiquimod cream 5 % (Aldara)

  • Immune modulator which triggers inflammatory reaction
  • Can also by used for warts / condylomata. 3 x week for 4 – 16 weeks.
  • Need to consider repeat biopsy after completion of topical treatment.