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Treatment of Stage 0 Penile Cancer
Source: Penile Cancer Treatment (PDQ®)–Health Professional Version, National Cancer Institute.
Source updated: May 7, 2025 · Captured 2026-09-09.
Selected source text with whitespace normalised. This Triangle page is not an NCI PDQ summary.
Stage 0 penile cancer is defined by the following TNM classifications:[1]
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Tis, N0, M0
Ta, N0, M0
Carcinoma in situ of the penis is referred to as erythroplasia of Queyrat when it occurs on the glans, and Bowen disease when it occurs on the penile shaft. These precursor lesions progress to invasive squamous cell carcinoma in 5% to 15% of cases. In case series studies, human papillomavirus DNA has been detected in most of these lesions.[2,3] With no data from clinical trials in this disease stage, treatment recommendations are largely based on case reports and case series involving limited numbers of patients.
Treatment options:
Surgical excision can result in scarring, deformity, and impaired function. To minimize these effects, Mohs micrographic surgery, which involves the excision of successive horizontal layers of tissue with microscopic examination of each layer in frozen section, has been used in patients with in situ and invasive penile cancers.[4,5][Level of evidence C3]
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Topical application of fluorouracil cream has been effective in cases of erythroplasia of Queyrat [6] and Bowen disease.[7][Level of evidence C3]
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Imiquimod 5% cream is a topical immune response modifier that has been effective with good cosmetic and functional results.[8-10][Level of evidence C3]
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Laser therapy with Nd:YAG or CO2 lasers has also resulted in excellent cosmetic results.[11][Level of evidence C3]
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Cryosurgery has resulted in good cosmetic results in patients with erythroplasia of Queyrat and verrucous penile carcinoma.[12,13][Level of evidence C3]
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Publication references
Read the original reference and check its publication notices.
- PubMed 11583947 · Original source
- PubMed 11586199 · Original source
- PubMed 11907505 · Original source
- PubMed 12187233 · Original source
- PubMed 14616803 · Original source
- PubMed 2040751 · Original source
- PubMed 3999220 · Original source
- PubMed 7073983 · Original source
- PubMed 7637047 · Original source
- PubMed 936382 · Original source
- PubMed 991073 · Original source
Preserved source evidence · Not medical advice