| Signs
and Symptoms
Vulvar cancer forms in the vulva, the area around the
external genital organs on a woman. The vulva includes
the following parts:
•
Labia -- The lips around the opening of the vagina
•
Clitoris -- A small mass of tissue at the opening of the
vagina
•
Bartholin's Glands-- The small mucus-producing glands
on either side of the vaginal opening
In most cases, cancer of the vulva affects the labia.
Less often, cancer occurs on the clitoris or in Bartholin's
glands. Over 90 percent of vulvar cancers are considered
a type of skin cancer because they begin in the squamous
cells, the main cell type of the skin. They usually develop
slowly over many years and in their earliest form are
not cancerous.
Vulvar cancer is relatively rare, and typically affects
Caucasian women over the age of 60, although the condition
can occur in younger women and those of all ethnicities.
Other risk factors for the condition include:
•
Smoking
•
Taking steroids or other drugs that weaken the immune
system
•
Genital warts caused by the sexually transmitted human
papillomavirus (HPV)
In most cases, vulvar cancer causes early symptoms. Therefore,
if you experience any of the symptoms of the condition,
you should visit your doctor immediately. Common symptoms
of vulvar cancer may include:
•
Vulvar itching that lasts more than one month
•
A cut or sore on the vulva that won't heal
•
A lump or mass on the vulva
•
Unexplained vulvar pain
•
Bleeding from the vulva that is different from your usual
monthly bleeding
•
Burning in the area that lasts even after your doctor
has treated the burning
•
Any change in size, color or texture of a birthmark or
mole in the vulvar area
Diagnosis
It is important to note that if detected and treated early,
vulvar cancer has a high cure rate. Therefore, it is essential
that you visit your doctor for a definite diagnosis. In
making a diagnosis, your doctor will first review your
medical history, ask about any symptoms you are experiencing
and conduct a thorough physical exam. The following tests
also may be performed:
•
Pelvic Exam-- This test involves feeling
the uterus, vagina, ovaries, fallopian tubes, bladder
and rectum to find any abnormality in their shape or size.
•
Ultrasound-- This test uses high-frequency
sound waves to create images of organs and systems within
the body. These waves, which cannot be heard by humans,
create a pattern of echoes called a sonogram. Healthy
tissues, fluid-filled cysts and tumors look different
on this picture.
•
Computed Tomography (CT) Scan-- This
is a method of body imaging in which a thin X-ray beam
rotates around the patient. Small detectors measure the
amount of X-rays that make it through the patient or particular
area of interest. A computer analyzes the data to construct
a cross-sectional image. These images can be stored, viewed
on a monitor or printed on film. In addition, stacking
the individual images or "slices" can create
three-dimensional models of organs.
•
Chest X-Ray-- This X-ray provides pictures
of the organs and structures inside the chest, including
the heart and lungs and the airway leading to them, major
blood vessels, and upper portion of the thin sheet of
muscle just below the lungs.
•
Magnetic Resonance Imagining (MRI)--
This is a painless non-invasive procedure that uses powerful
magnets and radio waves to construct pictures of the body.
Any imaging plane, or "slice" can be projected,
stored in a computer, or printed on film. MRI can easily
be performed through clothing and bones.
•
Biopsy-- This test involves removing
a small piece of tissue for microscopic examination and/or
culture, often to help your doctor make a diagnosis.
Treatment
When diagnosed and treated early, vulvar cancer can be
cured in over 90 percent of cases. Treatment for vulvar
cancer typically involves surgery, radiation therapy and
in some cases, chemotherapy. Our team of cancer specialists,
radiation specialists and plastic surgeons work together
to design the most effective treatment plan for your condition.
•
Surgery-- In many cases, vulvar cancer
is treated with surgery. The type of surgery depends on
the size, depth and spread of the cancer. One commonly
used form of surgery is called wide local excision, in
which the cancer and some of the normal tissue around
the cancer is removed. Another surgical approach is called
a radical excision, which removes the cancer and a larger
portion of surrounding tissue and in some cases, the lymph
nodes. After these procedures, patients may need to have
skin from another part of the body added, or grafted,
and plastic surgery to make an artificial vulva or vagina.
In addition, in some cases, laser surgery may be used,
which uses a narrow beam of light to remove cancer cells.
•
Radiation Therapy-- Radiation therapy
uses X-rays or other high-energy rays to kill cancer cells
and shrink tumors. Radiation may come from a machine outside
the body, called external beam radiation therapy. Another
form or radiation therapy, called internal radiation,
works by placing materials that produce radiation, called
radioisotopes, through thin plastic tubes into the area
where the cancer cells are found. Radiation may be used
alone, before or after surgery.
•
Chemotherapy-- Chemotherapy uses drugs
to kill cancer cells. Drugs may be given by mouth, or
they may be put into the body by a needle in the vein
or muscle. Chemotherapy is called systemic treatment because
the drug enters the blood stream, travels through the
body, and can kill cancer cells throughout the body.
|
