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Background: Penile cancer is a rare disease, with approximately 600 cases diagnosed every year in the UK. In this study, we assessed the impact of social deprivation on penile cancer, concentrating on incidence, disease factors, surgical treatment and mortality within our ‘Supranetwork’ population. Methods: All cases of penile cancer in the West of Scotland were identified from the uro-oncology multidisciplinary team meetings over a 10-year period covering January 2008 to December 2017. Patients underwent treatment within the remit of a centralised service, and social deprivation was determined using the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD), which is the Scottish government’s official tool to identify areas of multiple deprivations. Results: A total of 278 patients were identified, with an age range of 27–97 years ( M=64 years). The incidence of penile cancer in SIMD category 1 (most deprived) is 7.2/100,000 population at risk compared to 2.8/100,000 population at risk in SIMD category 5 (least deprived). Histologically, a higher proportion of aggressive grade 3 cancers (45% vs. 16%, p=0.03) and more advanced N2/N3 nodal disease (63% vs. 33%, p=0.04) was found in SIMD category 1 compared to SIMD category 5, suggesting higher incidence of delayed presentation with more advanced and aggressive disease in the most deprived populations. Conclusions: The level of social deprivation shows a significant association with penile cancer incidence, tumour grade and stage at time of diagnosis, with a resulting disproportionate impact on morbidity and mortality in the most deprived cohort of patients. Public awareness and efforts to increase earlier diagnoses of penile cancer in these ‘hard to reach’ men should be an important step in improving overall outcomes from penile cancer.

Visible hematuria has a cancer yield of up to 24.2%. A large proportion of cases will have no etiology. In this study we determined the incidence of pathology (benign and malignant) in patients with visible hematuria and those with persistent and recurrent visible hematuria, and evaluated the policy for investigations.Data were prospectively collected for 1,804 patients with visible hematuria at a United Kingdom teaching hospital from January 1999 to September 2007. In October 2010 the comprehensive hospital electronic database was checked for every individual patient to ensure no urological pathology was missed. All patients underwent standard hematuria investigations, including renal tract ultrasound and excretory urography or contrast enhanced computer tomography urogram, flexible cystoscopy and urine cytology.The male-to-female ratio was 4.8:1. Median age ± SD was 67 ± 17.0 years (range 21 to 109). Median followup was 6.6 ± 2.5 years (range 1.5 to 11.6). No urological pathology was found in 965 (53.5%) patients. Malignant urological disease was found in 386 (21.4%) patients, of whom 329 had bladder tumors. There were 32 patients with persistent visible hematuria and no malignancy. Repeat investigation was performed in 69 patients reporting recurrence. Of these patients 35 received a significant urological diagnosis, including 12 (17.4%) urological malignancies, while 34 (49.3%) still had no diagnosis. Limitations include the possibility of missing pathology.Almost 50% of patients presenting with visible hematuria will have a diagnosis. Therefore, all cases of visible hematuria require full standard investigations. Patients with no diagnosis can be discharged from followup. Recurrent visible hematuria after full initial negative findings requires repeat full standard investigations because 11.6% will have malignant pathology.

Metastatic Crohn's disease is a rare inflammatory process that is non-contiguous from the bowel. It can affect the penis and is variable in presentation and onset in relation to bowel symptoms. It has been treated with oral, topical, systemic, and surgical therapies. We describe our experience with two cases of penile metastatic Crohn's disease and their management in comparison with other cases described in the literature. Both our patients were of the lymphoedematous type and had sexual and voiding dysfunction. They were treated with topical and intra-lesional steroids and circumcision after unsuccessful systemic treatments.

Urine cytology has been a long-standing first line investigation for hematuria and is recommended in current major guidelines. We determined the contribution of urine cytology in hematuria investigations and its cost implications.Data were prospectively collected for 2,778 consecutive patients investigated for hematuria at a United Kingdom teaching hospital from January 1999 to September 2007 with final analysis in October 2010. All patients underwent standard hematuria investigations including urine cytology, flexible cystoscopy and renal tract ultrasound with excretory urogram or computerized tomography urogram performed in those with visible hematuria without a diagnosis after first line tests. Patients with positive urine cytology as the only finding underwent further cystoscopy, retrograde studies or ureteroscopy with biopsy under general anesthesia. Outcomes in terms of eventual diagnosis were cross-referenced with initial urine cytology results (classified as malignant, suspicious, atypical, benign or unsatisfactory). Costs of urine cytology were calculated.Of the patients 124 (4.5%) had malignant cells and 260 (9.4%) had atypical/suspicious results. For urothelial cancer cytology demonstrated 45.5% sensitivity and 89.5% specificity. Two patients with urine cytology as the only positive finding had urothelial malignancy on further investigation. For the entire cohort the cost of cytology was £111,120.Routine urine cytology is costly and of limited clinical value as a first line investigation for all patients with hematuria, and should be omitted from guidelines.