Department of Urology, University Hospitals Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
World J Urol. 2021 May;39(5):1405-1411. doi: 10.1007/s00345-020-03510-7. Epub 2020 Nov 3.
Penile cancer (PeCa) is a rare malignancy with a poor prognosis in advanced disease. There is still a limited understanding of the biological mediators that are important in the prognosis and therapy of the disease. This review aims to provide a summary of the immune micro-environment, molecular oncogenesis and the role of HPV in the disease applying to the potential of the use of immunotherapy.
Narrative, non-systematic review based on publications retrieved by PubMed and EMBASE search.
The molecular mechanisms underlying penile carcinogenesis are complex, and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a well-characterized driver of penile cancer. Up to 50% of the penile carcinomas are HPV related. There is potential to improve prevention, treatment and follow-up strategies pertaining to the role of HPV in penile cancer. Immune response modifiers such as toll-like receptor agonists are being used in a topical fashion for penile intraepithelial neoplasia while immune checkpoint inhibitors are currently under clinical investigation for its application in penile cancer.
The knowledge of prognosis-relevant biological pathways in penile cancer is expanding. HPV plays an important role in the carcinogenesis. This can lead to the identification of therapeutic targets which could significantly influence the prognosis of advanced penile cancer. Clinical trials are being conducted to pave the way for immune-modifying treatment modalities.
阴茎癌（PeCa）是一种罕见的恶性肿瘤，在疾病晚期预后较差。目前对于疾病预后和治疗中重要的生物学介质仍然知之甚少。本综述旨在概述免疫微环境、分子发生和 HPV 在疾病中的作用，探讨免疫疗法的应用潜力。
基于 PubMed 和 EMBASE 检索到的出版物进行叙述性、非系统性综述。
阴茎癌发生的分子机制复杂，人乳头瘤病毒（HPV）感染是阴茎癌的一个明确驱动因素。高达 50%的阴茎癌与 HPV 相关。HPV 在阴茎癌中的作用为改善预防、治疗和随访策略提供了可能。免疫反应调节剂，如 Toll 样受体激动剂，正被用于阴茎上皮内瘤变的局部治疗，而免疫检查点抑制剂目前正在临床研究中，以探索其在阴茎癌中的应用。
阴茎癌中与预后相关的生物学途径的知识正在不断扩展。HPV 在致癌作用中起着重要作用。这可以确定治疗靶点，从而显著影响晚期阴茎癌的预后。正在开展临床试验为免疫调节治疗方式铺平道路。
