Comparison of efficacy between brachytherapy and penectomy in patients with penile cancer: a meta-analysis

// Xiheng Hu 1 , Jianghai Huang 2 , Sailan Wen 2 , Jun Fu 3 and Minfeng Chen 1 1 Department of Urology, Xiangya Hsopital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province 410008, China 2 Department of Pathology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province 410011, China 3 Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province 410008, China Correspondence to: Minfeng Chen, email: minfengchencsu@126.com Jun Fu, email: xyzlkcsu@126.com Keywords: brachytherapy, penectomy, penile cancer, meta-analysis Received: April 07, 2017      Accepted: June 10, 2017      Published: June 28, 2017 ABSTRACT We conducted a meta-analysis to compare the efficacy of brachytherapy and penectomy in patients with penile cancer. We searched the published articles in the PubMed, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang databases up to March 20, 2017. Twenty-two studies entered the final analyses. We used five-year overall survival rate, five-year local control rate, disease-free progression and lymph node positive rate to assess the efficacy. The meta-analysis found that patients who received penectomy had higher five-year local control rate (85% vs 80%, odds ratio = 0.72, 95% confidence interval: 0.58–0.90), five-year disease-free progression rate (77% vs 72%, odds ratio = 0.77, 95% confidence interval: 0.63–0.93) and lymph node positive rates (24% vs 20%, odds ratio = 0.79, 95% confidence interval: 0.64–0.98) than brachytherapy. No significant difference was observed for two group in five-year overall survival rate (76% vs 74%, odds ratios = 1.11 with the 95% confidence interval: 0.91–1.36). Both of penectomy and brachytherapy can improve the survival status. Penectomy provided better control efficacy, and not improved the survival status compared with brachytherapy solely. However, further research was required because of retrospective nature and potential bias of the data.