A new nationwide clinical study led by the University Hospital Tübingen aims to improve the surgical treatment of penile cancer. The focus of the multicenter study DEPECA-2 is the comparison of robot-assisted and classic open removal of the inguinal lymph nodes. The project receives funding of 1.8 million euros from the “NCT Overarching Clinical Translational Trial (OCT2)” program of the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT).

Penile cancer is a rare but aggressive disease. In about one-third of patients, the tumor spreads to the lymph nodes of the groin or pelvis. In these cases, surgical removal of the affected lymph nodes (inguinal lymphadenectomy) is a central component of therapy. The open procedure is considered effective from an oncological point of view, but is associated with high complication rates: Up to 50 percent of patients develop wound healing disorders, infections, lymph fistulas or skin necrosis. The consequences are often long hospital stays and a significantly delayed recovery.

DEPECA-2 is the first to systematically investigate whether robot-assisted technology is gentler than the open standard procedure with the same oncological effectiveness. Robot-assisted operations enable more precise work in many urological areas through magnification, better visibility and smaller accesses. The study is intended to clarify whether these advantages also apply to complex lymph node surgery in penile cancer.

A total of 80 patients at nine German university hospitals are to be enrolled. The primary endpoint is the complication rate; other parameters include oncological safety, quality of life and biological markers for prognosis estimation. The study is scheduled to start at the beginning of 2026.

With DEPECA-2, the Tübingen urology department is continuing its continuous research on penile cancer. Previously, she initiated the nationwide DEPECA-1 study on drug combination therapy for advanced, no longer operable or metastatic penile cancer. While DEPECA-1 is evaluating systemic therapy options, DEPECA-2 is focusing on the surgical treatment of earlier stages with lymph node involvement.

Further information:

DEPECA-2 Study | University Hospital Tübingen

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