Vulvar Cancer
What
is vulvar cancer?
Vulvar cancer is a malignancy that can occur
on any part of the external organs, The vulva is the
skin and fatty tissue between the upper thighs of women, from the area of
the anus to about an
inch below the pubic hairline. Cancer of the vulva most often affects the
two skin folds (or lips)
around the vagina, known as the labia, but most often affects the labia
majora or labia minora.
Cancer of the vulva is a rare disease, which accounts for half of one
percent of all cancers in
women, and may form slowly over many years. Nearly 90 percent of vulvar
cancers are squamous
cell carcinomas. Melanoma is the second most common type of vulvar cancer,
usually found in the
labia minora or clitoris. Other types of vulvar cancer include:
1. Adenocarcinoma
2. Paget's disease
3. Sarcomas
4. Verrucous carcinoma
5. Basal cell carcinoma .
Treatment
of vulvar cancer: Vulvar
cancers are usually treated by surgery with a radical excision of the
cancer and removal of
the regional lymph nodes. If the cancer is clearly on only one side and
small then only that one
side may need to be removed. Radical excision means that there must be a
good margin of
uninvolved tissue removed with the cancer. Usually an acceptable margin is
about two
centimeters. This will result in some disfigurement if the cancer is
larger than about two
centimeters in size. Large cancers will also require some sort of plastic
surgery technique to close
the defect. Complications of surgery are closure breakdown with prolonged
healing and sometimes
a collection of fluid in the groin where the lymph nodes where removed.
There may also be leg
swelling. If the cancer is very large and a radical resection would
require removal of the anus,
rectum or urethra then primary treatment can be given by radiation to
preserve these vital
structures. If there is cancer in the lymph nodes then that groin as well
as the pelvic lymph nodes
are irradiated upon recovery from surgery. Often when these cancers are
being irradiated
chemotherapy will also be given to increase the effects of the radiation.
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