Vulvar Cancer: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention - Verywell Health Targeted drug treatments focus on specific abnormalities present within cancer cells. Tests that examine the vulva are used to diagnose vulvar cancer. There are several main forms of this disease. The disease is metastatic vulvar cancer, not lung cancer. 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. About half the cases are caused by human papillomavirus and half are caused by lichen sclerosus. Signs of vulvar cancer include bleeding or itching in the vulvar area. List your questions from most important to least important in case time runs out. Thick, scaly growths appear on the skin and do not heal. Because appointments can be brief, and it can be difficult to remember everything you want to discuss, it's a good idea to be prepared. The vulva includes: Vulvar cancer most often affects the outer vaginal lips. VIN is sometimes called stage 0 or carcinoma in situ. Some of the tests that were done to diagnose the cancer or to find out the stage of the cancer may be repeated. Targeted drug treatments are not as commonly used as surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Vulval squamous cell carcinoma, Nodular basal cell carcinoma on the right labium, Squamous cell carcinoma on the left labium, Polypoid squamous cell carcinoma on the vulva, Right vulval squamous cell carcinoma A higher number, such as stage IV, means cancer has spread more. Information about using the images in this summary, along with many other images related to cancer can be found in Visuals Online. 6th ed. The summaries are reviewed regularly and changes are made when there is new information. Typically, vulvar cancer causes little discomfort, but itching is common. Colposcopy. Early vulvar cancers are those confined to the vulva, and where there are no suspicious lymph nodes, either on clinical examination, ultrasound, or cross-sectional radiological assessment. If you want to use an image from a PDQ summary and you are not using the whole summary, you must get permission from the owner. Pelvic examination. Cancers can be caused by DNA mutations (defects) that turn on oncogenes or turn off tumor suppressor genes. Warner KJ. The cancer spreads from where it began by getting into the lymph system. The women who have these cancers tend to be younger and often smoke. Early vaginal cancer may not cause any signs and symptoms. The following stages are used for vulvar cancer: Vulvar cancer can recur (come back) after it has been treated. Chemotherapy has been studied and may be used if the patient can tolerate it. Treatment options for vulvar cancer depend on the type, stage and location of your cancer, as well as your overall health and your preferences. There are different types of treatment for patients with vulvar cancer. It has not spread to nearby lymph nodes (N0) or to distant sites (M0). This content does not have an English version. Bleeding with bowel movements, pain, and sometimes itching around the anus are typical symptoms. All rights reserved. Wound problems are common after vulvar surgery. Although each person's cancer experience is unique, cancers with similar stages tend to have a similar outlook and are often treated in much the same way. Radiation therapy uses high-powered energy beams, such as X-rays and protons, to kill cancer cells. Vulvar cancer is a rare cancer of a woman's vulva. To identify sentinel lymph nodes, doctors inject a blue or green dye and/or a radioactive substance into the vulva around the tumor. Vulvar cancer (squamous cell carcinoma). In stage II, the tumor is any size and has spread to the lower one-third of the urethra, the lower one-third of the vagina, or the lower one-third of the anus. Copyright 2023 Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA and its affiliates. Signs and symptoms may be caused by vulvar cancer or by other conditions. What about radiation or chemotherapy? Here you'll find in-depth information on specific cancer types - including risk factors, early detection, diagnosis, and treatment options. Vulvar cancer often does not cause early signs or symptoms. As a rule, the lower the number, the less the cancer has spread. Treatment of vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN) may include the following: Treatment of stage I vulvar cancer and stage II vulvar cancer may include the following: Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. (See also Overview of Female Reproductive System Cancers Overview of Female Reproductive System Cancers Cancers can occur in any part of the female reproductive systemthe vulva, vagina, cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes, or ovaries. It accounts for more than 95% of diagnosed cases. Editorial Boards write the PDQ cancer information summaries and keep them up to date. Different read more, Precancerous changes (vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia or dysplasia) in vulvar tissues, Lichen sclerosus Lichen Sclerosus Lichen sclerosus is a disorder that tends to cause itching and can cause scarring in the area around the anus and genitals. (VC-patient5), Dermoscopyy of a thick superficial spreading malignant melanoma (Breslow thickness 7 mm) Dermoscopy of a vulval malignant melanoma A small piece of the lymph nodes is then sent to the laboratory to check if vulvar cancer has spread to the lymph nodes.