Vulvar cancer can occur in any area of the vulva, which is the external sex organs or genitals. This rare cancer includes the inner and outer lips of your labia, clitoris, the opening of your vagina and vaginal glands, which are in your perineum (the area between your vulva and anus). Vulvar cancer usually occurs in the outer lips of your labia. About half of all vulvar cancers are caused by an infection with certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV).
- Most cancers of the vulva are squamous cell carcinomas, including these subtypes: keratinizing, basaloid, warty and verrucous.
- Another type of vulvar cancer that starts in the gland cells is called adenocarcinoma. Vulvar adenocarcinomas most often start in cells of the Bartholin glands, which are found just inside the opening of the vagina. Adenocarcinomas can also form in the sweat glands of the vulvar skin.
- Another condition is Paget disease of the vulva in which adenocarcinoma cells are found in the top layer of the vulvar skin. Some patients with vulvar Paget disease also have an invasive vulvar adenocarcinoma in a Bartholin gland or sweat gland.
Treatment Options for Vulvar Cancer
- Excision (removal) is a procedure that is also called a wide local excision or radical excision. It involves cutting out the cancer and a small amount of normal tissue that surrounds it.
- Vulvectomy is the removal of all or part of your vulva. In a partial vulvectomy, only the part of your vulva where the cancer is located is removed. In a simple vulvectomy, your entire vulva is removed. In a radical vulvectomy, part or all of your vulva and nearby tissue is removed.
- Lymph node dissection is the removal of one or more lymph nodes. In a sentinel node dissection only the first nodes that drain the area near the cancer are removed.
- Complete lymph node dissection is when all of the lymph nodes near your vulva are removed. It can be done on one or both sides of your perineum.