Incidence of penile cancer worldwide: systematic review and meta-analysis

We conducted a meta-analysis of observational studies, following the Metaanalysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) (7) and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) ABSTRACTObjective.To determine the global incidence of penile cancer.Methods.A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies was performed, with no limits on their language of publication.Analyses were performed using Stata 13 statistical software.A random-effects model was used, according to the heterogeneity found in the studies.The main outcome was expressed in terms of age-standardized incidence.Results.A total of 23 studies were eligible, with 71 156 penile cancer patients in 86 countries.According to the review conducted, the estimated age-standardized incidence of penile cancer worldwide is 0.84 cases per 100 000 person-years (95% confidence interval: 0.79-0.89).Romania reported the highest incidence, 7.26 per 100 000 person-years, between 1983 and 1987; however, some countries in Latin America and Africa reported an incidence of between 2.0 and 5.7 per 100 000.Conclusions.Penile cancer is considered a rare malignancy due to its already-known, particularly low incidence rate.The estimated age-standardized incidence rate by the world standard population today is 0.84 cases per 100 000 person-years.There were no significant differences in the incidence rate of penile cancer with respect to the distribution by continent or the trend over time.