Penile Cancer: Diagnostic Tests

The diagnosis of penile carcinoma can usually be made as a visual diagnosis of the primary tumor.

Optional medical device diagnostics – depending on the results of the history, physical examination, laboratory diagnostics, and obligatory medical device diagnostics – for differential diagnostic clarification.

  • Dermatoscopy (reflected light microscopy; increases diagnostic confidence).
  • Photodynamic fluorescence diagnostics
  • Sonography (ultrasound examination)
    • Of the tumor – depending on the localization to determine the depth/spread.
    • Of the regional lymph node stations (inguinal region).
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in artificial erection – for examination of lymph nodes and organs in the inguinal, pelvic, and abdominal regions or for staging (staging; when there is uncertainty in clinical local staging) [required only in a few cases before planned organ preservation].
  • Computed tomography (CT; sectional imaging method (X-ray images from different directions with computer-based evaluation)) of the pelvis (pelvic CT) – to determine the depth / spread, if necessary, also to detect larger metastases.
  • Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET-CT; combined nuclear medicine (PET) and radiology (CT) imaging procedure in which the distribution pattern of radioactive substances (tracers) can be localized very precisely with the aid of cross-sectional imaging) – indications:
    • In clinically suspicious inguinal lymph nodes (clinically suspicious inguinal lymph nodes).
    • To exclude organ metastases (daughter tumors in organs in patients with advanced tumor stages.
  • X-ray of the thorax (X-ray thorax/chest), in two planes – for staging.
  • Dynamic lymph scintigraphy with radioactive markers (Tc99 colloid) – for detection of lymph node metastasis.
  • Skeletal scintigraphy (synonym: bone scintigraphy; bone scan) – in patients with systemic disease or relevant symptoms.