THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PENILE CANCER

Learn key facts about penile cancer, its symptoms, treatment, and care options. GetWellGo guides international patients with trusted medical support.

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PENILE CANCER

  • Category

    Urology

  • Published By

    GetWellGo Team

  • Updated on

    18-Jul-2025

PENILE CANCER

A Penile Cancer is type of cancerous condition that is rare and happens on the skin or even the tissues of the penis. It usually starts at the foreskin or the glans (tip) and/or the shaft in some instances.

Kinds of Penile Cancer

The majority of cancerous cells on the penile part of a male are squamous cell carcinoma. Others are:

  • BCC Basal cell carcinoma
  • Melanoma
  • Adenocarcinoma (rare)
  • Sarcoma (extremely unusual)

Penile Cancer Symptoms

The following are typical symptoms of penile cancer that you should be on the lookout:

Early Symptoms

Penis changes in the skin, which include:

  • A sore (usually a growth on the glans or foreskin)
  • A velvet-like rash of red colour
  • Discoloration white or bluish
  • Skin being thicker or lump
  • Lesion or ulcer which heals not
  • Bad smelling ooze under foreskin
  • Brain bleeding in the brain affected area

Advanced Symptoms

  • Penis pain
  • Puffiness at the penis-head
  • Inability to retract the foreskin (phimosis) on otherwise previously normal foreskin
  • Swollen glands of the groin (may seem like balls of cement)
  • Loss of weight or fatigue (when cancer is metastasized)

Penile Cancer Treatment in India

India provides 21st-century and economical treatment procedures of penile cancer with universal standards protocols and multispecialty teams. The hospitals have had experienced uro-oncologists, reconstructive surgeons and specialists of cancer.

Treatment options in India 

The treatment is mainly done according to the stage, size and location of the cancer:

Minimally invasive and topical treatment (stage 1)

  • Topical chemotherapy containing creams (e.g. 5-FU, imiquimod)
  • Laser surgery
  • Freezing the cancer cells or cryotherapy
  • Mohs micrographic surgery

Surgical Treatments

  • In the case of cancer limited to the foreskin, circumcision may be done.
  • Wide excision
  • Partial penectomy (partial removal of the penis)
  • Advanced: total penectomy
  • Penectomy follow-up surgery (optional)

Lymph Node Management

  • Lymph node sentinel biopsy
  • Groin node removal (inguinal lymphadenectomy)
  • Pelvic lymph node dissection in case of the spread of cancer

High Level Cancer Treatment

  • Radiation therapy (external beam or Brachytherapy)
  • Metastatic or recurrent cases: chemotherapy (See NCI, p. 54)
  • Palliative care in case it is not possible to cure the cancer (in the case when such an illness is not possible to cure)

Top hospitals for penile cancer in India

Artemis Hospital, Gurgaon

Situated in Gurugram, Artemis is an NABH and JCI-accredited multi‑specialty hospital with more than 400–600 beds, providing extensive oncology care. Its Artemis Cancer Centre offers comprehensive surgical oncology, radiation oncology, and medical oncology — all in one place . The hospital caters to both domestic and global cancer patients and provides personalized care coordinated by a multidisciplinary team. CyberKnife M6 system (first in North India) provides high precision radiation treatment particularly valuable for complex tumors. Advanced diagnostic imaging capabilities include PET-CT, 3T MRI, 256-slice CT, and brachytherapy facilities important for precise staging and treatment planning.

Medanta-The Medicity, Gurgaon

Medanta's Urology & Nephrology Institute provides subspecialist care in urologic oncology, including penile cancer, as well as other cancers such as prostate, bladder, kidney, testicular, and retroperitoneal tumors. Provides advanced surgical techniques such as Da Vinci robotic surgery, laparoscopic surgery, and open oncologic surgery for penile cancer and lymph node management. Sophisticated radiation and imaging facility: TrueBeam™ linear accelerator, CyberKnife®, 3T MRI, 256-slice CT, and PET‑CT systems, enabling accurate staging and targeted therapy planning.

Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon

FMRI is a JCI and NABH-accredited, quaternary care multispecialty hospital with around 310–330 beds, with centers of excellence in oncology, urology, robotics, haematology, and others. Relevant regionally in oncology; ranked as among North India's best hospitals and included sites in Newsweek's "World's Best Smart Hospitals" of 2021. Fortis Cancer Institute (FCI) brings together scientific surgical, medical, and radiation oncology under one roof, supported by onco-nutritionists, genetic counsellors, and rehabilitation facilities. FMRI has cutting-edge radiation technology such as MR‑Linac, Gamma Knife Esprit, IMRT, IGRT, VMAT, stereotactic radiotherapy, and brachytherapy equipment for accurate, adaptive cancer treatment. Their Nuclear Medicine service line features high-resolution Time-of‑Flight PET‑CT scans (±â€¯2 mm lesion detection), PSMA imaging, PET‑guided biopsies, and patient-specific therapies such as Lutetium‑PSMA, which allows for treatment planning at the molecular level.

Max Hospital, Saket

NABH-accredited, ~500-bed multispecialty hospital providing full-service care such as urology, oncology, robotic surgery, and cancer treatment. Max Healthcare is one of the leading hospital chains in North India. Penile cancer falls within the ambit of urological malignancies treated at Max, through a multidisciplinary treatment modality involving surgery, medical oncology, and radiation oncology. The Urology department of the hospital regularly takes care of early-stage through advanced cases, employing minimally invasive methods wherever feasible. With Da Vinci Xi robotic surgical system that provides accurate, minimally invasive urologic procedures including tumor removals and lymph node dissection. Aids open, laparoscopic, and robotic uro-oncology surgery for penile cancer and conditions.

Factors Affecting Penile Cancer Surgery Cost in India

Here are the key factors affecting the cost of penile cancer surgery in India:

  • Stage and Extent of Cancer
  • Type of Hospital
  • Type of Surgery
  • Surgical Technique Used
  • Diagnostic & Imaging Costs
  • Post-Surgical Treatment
  • International Patient Factors
  • Surgeon’s Experience & Reputation
  • Hospital Stay & Room Category

Factors Affecting Affordable Penile Cancer care GetWellGo

Here is a comprehensive summary of the influences on cost-effective penile cancer treatment with GetWellGo, a patient facilitator for medical tourism of patients interested in saving money on quality care in India:

  • Stage & Type of Penile Cancer
  • Choice of Hospital & City
  • Specialist Experience & Surgical Method
  • Type of Treatment Required
  • Comprehensive Packages vs. Itemized Billing
  • Diagnostics and Follow-Up Needs
  • Hospital Stay & Room Selection
  • International Patient Services
  • Insurance & Financial Aid
  • Partner Network & Negotiations

Penile Cancer Treatment with GetWellGo

GetWellGo is regarded as a leading supplier of healthcare services. We help our foreign clients choose the best treatment locations that suit their needs both financially and medically.

We offer:

  • Complete transparency
  • Fair costs.
  • 24 hour availability.
  • Medical E-visas
  • Online consultation from recognized Indian experts.
  • Assistance in selecting India's top hospitals for Penile Cancer treatment.
  • Expert oncologist/uro-oncologist with a strong track record of success
  • Assistance during and after the course of treatment.
  • Language Support
  • Travel and Accommodation Services
  • Case manager assigned to every patient to provide seamless support in and out of the hospital like appointment booking
  • Local SIM Cards
  • Currency Exchange
  • Arranging Patient’s local food

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