Predictors of Cancer-specific Mortality After Disease Recurrence in Patients with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Penis

Disease recurrence occurs frequently after surgical treatment for squamous cell carcinoma of the penis (SCCp). We sought to determine prognostic factors that influence cancer-specific mortality (CSM) after disease recurrence in patients with SCCp. We performed a retrospective analysis of 314 patients who experienced disease recurrence after surgical treatment for SCCp between 1949 and 2012. Competing risk regression analysis addressed factors associated with CSM after SCCp recurrence. Median time from surgery to disease recurrence was 10.5 mo (interquartile range [IQR]: 5.9-21.3). Of the recurrences, 165 (53%), 118 (38%), and 31 (9.9%) were local, regional, or distant, respectively. Within a median follow-up of 4.5 yr (IQR: 2.0-6.5), 108 patients died of SCCp and 41 patients died of causes other than SCCp. Shorter time to disease recurrence was found to be significantly associated with a higher risk of CSM (p = 0.0006). Lymph node metastasis at the time of initial treatment (subdistribution hazard ratio [SHR]: 1.96; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.23- 3.11; p = 0.005) and regional recurrence (SHR: 4.14; 95% CI, 2.16-7.93; p < 0.0001) or distant recurrence (SHR: 5.75; 95% CI, 2.59-12.73; p < 0.0001) were associated with increased risk of CSM after disease recurrence. Inclusion of time to recurrence into risk stratification may help patient counseling and treatment planning.