Quality of Life After Surgical Treatment for Penile Carcinoma

Abstract

The aim of our review was to collect and analyze all the available literature about surgical treatment penile carcinoma to understand the real implication of this kind of surgery on patients’ quality of life (QoL). A systematic literature search (English or French written literature) was conducted in electronic database MEDLINE, using the key search terms “Penectomy AND quality of life.” Studies from 1994 to 2017 concerning the implications of surgical treatment for penile carcinoma were collected and analyzed. A manual search of reference lists of included studies and review articles was successively performed. All references of the retrieved studies were also reviewed to avoid missing relevant publications. Ten articles were included in the systematic review. The studies were settled in Denmark, Brazil, Norway, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, China, and the United States. The enrolled patients ranged from 4 to 155 and had a mean age at the interview of 50.5–67 years old. Patients underwent several types of surgery: glansectomy, partial or total amputation, emasculation. Sexual function represented the most important element negatively influenced by the surgical treatment especially for patients who underwent more invasive treatments leading to anxiety or depression. Most patients didn’t report significant alterations of their QoL and reported satisfying relationships with their partners because of the support received from them. The age was one of the most important aspects that influenced the QoL. In conclusion, in contrast to what expected our review demonstrated an excellent overall QoL after surgery for penile carcinoma.

Keywords:

• Health related quality of life (HRQoL)
• quality of life (QoL)
• penile cancer
• penile amputation