Quality of life assessment in penile cancer patients: A systematic review

Abstract

Introduction: Cancer is one of the leading causes of disease in the world. Tumors of urological origin have a high impact on the morbidity and mortality of the population. Penile cancer constitutes 1% of neoplasms of the urinary system. The therapeutic strategies traditionally were based on improving survival, however, there is currently a tendency to improve also the physical, emotional and social aspect, understanding the disease as a process that affects the physical and mental; therefore, quality of life has been considered as an important clinical indicator, not only of well-being but also of the progression of the disease and the effectiveness of the treatment. Method: Search in the databases: MEDLINE® via Ovid; EMBASE; CENTRAL and LILACS. Subsequently, the articles found are evaluated, identifying eligibility criteria, this information was confirmed and verified by the researchers. Results: The search strategy established, identified 12 articles with five duplicates. Seven articles were evaluated, however, none of them met the inclusion criteria. Conclusions: In the literature review made, no studies were found that evaluated or validated scales of quality of life in patients with penile cancer. It is suggested to generate studies that validate specific scales for these patients; given the psychological implication that this type of cancer has for men.