Increased incidence of penile cancer and high-grade penile intraepithelial neoplasia in Denmark 1978-2008: a nationwide population-based study

• Published in: Cancer causes & control 2012-02, Vol.23 (2), p.273-280
• Main Authors: Baldur-Felskov, Birgitte, Hannibal, Charlotte Gerd, Munk, Christian, Kjaer, Susanne K.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Cancer; Cancer Research; Carcinoma in Situ - epidemiology; Carcinoma in Situ - pathology; Carcinoma in Situ - virology; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - epidemiology; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - pathology; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - virology; Circumcision; Circumcision, Male - adverse effects; Codes; Confidence Intervals; Denmark - epidemiology; Epidemiology; Genital cancers; Hematology; Histology; Human papillomavirus; Humans; Incidence; Male; Metastasis; Middle Aged; Morphology; Neoplasia; Oncology; Original Paper; Papillomaviridae - isolation & purification; Papillomavirus Infections - epidemiology; Papillomavirus Infections - virology; Pathology; Penile neoplasms; Penile Neoplasms - epidemiology; Penile Neoplasms - pathology; Penile Neoplasms - virology; Penis; Penis - pathology; Population-based studies; Predisposing factors; Prevalence; Public Health; Regression Analysis; Squamous cell carcinoma; Topography; Trends; Tumors; Vaccination; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0957-5243; 1573-7225
• DOI: 10.1007/s10552-011-9876-7

Objective To assess the trends in incidence of penile cancer during 1978-2008 and high-grade penile intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN2/3) during 1998-2008 in Denmark. Methods Using two nationwide registries, we estimated age- and period-specific incidence rates. Log-linear Poisson regression analysis was used to estimate average annual percentage change (AAPC) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results We identified 1,488 men with penile cancer and 285 men with PIN2/3. The incidence of penile cancer increased from 1.0 to 1.3 per 100,000 men-years in 1978-1979 to 2006-2008; this represented an AAPC of 0.8% (95% CI: 0.17-1.37). Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) was the most common histological type (91.7%). The median age at diagnosis was 67 years, and the agespecific incidence rate of penile SCC increased with increasing age. The incidence rate of PIN2/3 increased significantly (0.5 to 0.9 per 100,000 men-years) in 1998-1999 to 2006-2008, and this represented an AAPC of 7.1% (95% CI: 3.30-11.05). Conclusions The incidence of penile cancer increased in 1978-2008 in Denmark, and the same applied to PIN2/3 in 1998-2008. A high prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) and a low circumcision rate in Denmark may partly explain our results.