Reappraisal of the role of radiotherapy and surgery in the management of carcinoma of the penis.

The iridium mould technique was used as the method of choice whenever possible in a series of 80 cases of cancer of the penis. When the growth was confined to the glans penis the survival rate was 89% but local recurrence called for subsequent amputation in 22%. When tumour had invaded the corpus cavernosum, irradiation improved the survival rate but amputation was required in 75 to 80%. Prognosis correlated well with histology, patients with a "cord" pattern having the worst prognosis.