gynecology and obstetrics
Vulvar Cancer
Introduction
Vulvar cancer is usually a squamous cell cancer, most often occurring in older women. It usually manifests as a visible or palpable lesion. Diagnosis is by biopsy. Treatment typically includes excision and lymph node dissection or sentinel lymph node mapping. Vulvar cancer is the 4th most common gynecologic cancer in the United States; it accounts for 6% of cancers of the female genital tract. In the United States, vulvar cancer will cause an estimated 6470 new cases and 1670 deaths in 2023 ( General reference ). Median age at diagnosis is about 70 years; incidence increases with age. Vulvar cancer frequently occurs in the labia majora. Less often, vulvar cancer affects the labia minora, clitoris, or vaginal glands. Vulvar cancer usually develops slowly over a number of years. Precancer cellular changes can develop on the surface of the vulvar epithelium (without invasion) over a long period of time. This condition (called vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia [VIN]) can become invasive (cancerous) and so should be diagnosed and treated. Risk factorsfor vulvar cancer include Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Infection None Vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN) Cigarette smoking Lichen Sclerosus None Immunodeficiency Squamous hyperplasia Squamous carcinoma or intraepithelial neoplasia of the vagina, cervix, or anus Chronic Granulomatous Disease (CGD) None Most vulvar cancers are caused by persistent Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Infection . The precursor to vulvar cancer is vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN). 