Vulvar Cancer Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

What Is Vulvar Cancer?

Vulvar cancer is a malignant, invasive growth in the vulva, which is the area of skin that surrounds the urethra and vagina, including the clitoris and labia.

The cancer usually grows slowly over several years and is rare.

Types Of Vulvar Cancer:

Squamous cell carcinoma
Melanoma
Basal cell carcinoma

Cause Of Vulvar Cancer:

Cause of vulvar cancer is not clear.

In general, the 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 is unknown, the following factors increase the likelihood of acquiring vulvar cancer:

Increasing age.
Being exposed to human papillomavirus
Smoking
Being infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
Having a history of precancerous conditions of the vulva
Having a skin condition involving the vulva

Symptoms Of Vulvar Cancer:

Symptoms of vulvar cancer may include the following:

Itching that doesn’t go away
Pain and tenderness
Bleeding that isn’t from menstruation
Skin changes, such as color changes or thickening
A lump, wart-like bumps or an open sore (ulcer)

Diagnosis Of Vulvar Cancer:

The following tests and exams are done in order to diagnose Vulvar cancer:

Examining the vulva.
Using a special magnifying device to examine the vulva during a colposcopy exam.
Removing a sample of tissue for testing (biopsy).

The extent of the cancer can be assessed through the following procedure:

Examination of your pelvic area for cancer spread.Your doctor may do a more thorough examination of your pelvis for signs that the cancer has spread.
Imaging tests

Imaging tests may include

X-ray,
computerized tomography (CT)
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI
positron emission tomography (PET)

Treatment Of Vulvar Cancer:

Treatment of Vulvar cancer depends upon the type, stage and health of the patient.

Treatment includes:

Surgery to remove the cancer
- Removing the cancer and a margin of healthy tissue (excision)
- Removing a portion of the vulva (partial vulvectomy)
- Removing the entire vulva (radical vulvectomy)
- Extensive surgery for advanced cancer
- Reconstructive surgery
Surgery to remove lymph nodes
Radiation therapy
Chemotherapy