My Health Digest
Vulvar cancer is a type of cancer that occurs on the outer surface area of the female genitalia. The vulva is the area of skin that surrounds the urethra and vagina, including the clitoris and labia.
Vulvar cancer commonly forms as a lump or sore on the vulva that often causes itching. Though it can occur at any age, vulvar cancer is most commonly diagnosed in older adults.
Vulvar cancer treatment usually involves surgery to remove the cancer and a small amount of surrounding healthy tissue. Sometimes vulvar cancer surgery requires removing the entire vulva. The earlier vulvar cancer is diagnosed, the less likely an extensive surgery is needed for treatment.
Signs and symptoms of vulvar cancer may include:
It’s not clear what causes vulvar cancer.
In general, doctors know that cancer begins when a cell develops mutations in its DNA. The mutations allow the cell to grow and divide rapidly. The cell and its offspring go on living when other normal cells would die. The accumulating cells form a tumor that may be cancerous, invading nearby tissue and spreading to other parts of the body.
Although the exact cause of vulvar cancer isn’t known, certain factors appear to increase your risk of the disease, including:
The type of cell in which vulvar cancer begins helps your doctor plan the most effective treatment. The most common types of vulvar cancer include:
Reduce your risk of sexually transmitted infections
To reduce your risk of vulvar cancer, reduce your risk of the sexually transmitted infection HPV:
Ask your doctor how often you should undergo pelvic exams. These exams allow your doctor to visually examine your vulva and manually examine your internal reproductive organs to check for abnormalities.
Talk to your doctor about your risk factors for vulvar cancer and other pelvic cancers in order to determine the most appropriate screening exam schedule for you.
Diagnosing vulvar cancer
Tests and procedures used to diagnose vulvar cancer include:
Once your diagnosis is confirmed, your doctor works to determine the size and extent (stage) of your cancer. Staging tests can include:
Your vulvar cancer is assigned a Roman numeral that denotes its stage. Stages of vulvar cancer include:
Vulvar melanoma uses a different staging system.
Treatment options for vulvar cancer depend on the type and stage of your cancer, your overall health and your preferences.
Surgery to remove the entire vulva carries a risk of complications, such as infection and problems with healing around the incision.
Surgery to your vulva may change sensation in your genital area. Depending on the operation, your genital area may feel numb and you may not be able to achieve orgasm during sexual intercourse.
Vulvar cancer can spread to the lymph nodes in the groin, so your doctor may remove these lymph nodes at the time you undergo surgery to remove the cancer. Depending on your situation, your doctor may remove only a few lymph nodes or many lymph nodes.
Removing lymph nodes can cause fluid retention and leg swelling, a condition called lymphedema.
In certain situations, surgeons may use a technique that allows them to remove fewer lymph nodes. Called sentinel lymph node biopsy, this procedure involves identifying the lymph node where the cancer is most likely to spread first. The surgeon then removes that lymph node for testing. If cancer cells aren’t found in that lymph node, then it’s unlikely that cancer cells have spread to other lymph nodes.
Radiation therapy uses high-powered energy beams, such as X-rays and protons, to kill cancer cells. Radiation therapy for vulvar cancer is usually administered by a machine that moves around your body and directs radiation to precise points on your skin (external beam radiation).
Radiation therapy is sometimes used to shrink large vulvar cancers in order to make it more likely that surgery will be successful. Radiation is sometimes combined with chemotherapy, which can make cancer cells more vulnerable to radiation therapy.
If cancer cells are discovered in your lymph nodes, your doctor may recommend radiation to the area around your lymph nodes to kill any cancer cells that might remain after surgery. Radiation is sometimes combined with chemotherapy in these situations.
Chemotherapy is a drug treatment that uses chemicals to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy drugs are typically administered through a vein in your arm or by mouth.
For those with advanced vulvar cancer that has spread to other areas of the body, chemotherapy may be an option.
Chemotherapy is sometimes combined with radiation therapy to shrink large vulvar cancers in order to make it more likely that surgery will be successful. Chemotherapy may also be combined with radiation if there’s evidence cancer has spread to the lymph nodes.
After completing vulvar cancer treatment, your doctor may recommend periodic follow-up exams to look for a cancer recurrence. Even after successful treatment, vulvar cancer can return. Your doctor will determine the schedule of follow-up exams that’s right for you, but doctors generally recommend exams two to four times each year for the first two years after vulvar cancer treatment.