Empowering people affected by penile cancer: towards a model for supportive self-management.

Abstract

Improvements in the quality of penile cancer management are difficult due to the rarity of the condition and a limited evidence base for treatment decisions. Penile cancer and some of its highly morbid treatments can cause profound psychosexual and physical effects that negatively impact quality of life. Multidisciplinary interventions are required to equip patients with the support necessary to manage their emotional, physical, work, and lifestyle challenges to optimize health, well-being, and recovery. This paper outlines a model of supported self-management, which is a novel model of care for people with penile cancer to mitigate disease and treatment morbidity.