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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Symptoms
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Prevention and Risk Factors
• Treatments and Therapies

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• Living With
• Related Issues
• Specifics

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Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

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• Patient Handouts

Summary

Vulvar cancer is a rare type of cancer. It forms in a woman's external genitals, called the vulva. The cancer usually grows slowly over several years. First, precancerous cells grow on vulvar skin. This is called vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN), or dysplasia. Not all VIN cases turn into cancer, but it is best to treat it early.

Often, vulvar cancer doesn't cause symptoms at first. However, see your doctor for testing if you notice:

• A lump in the vulva
• Vulvar itching or tenderness
• Bleeding that is not your period
• Changes in the vulvar skin, such as color changes or growths that look like a wart or ulcer

You are at greater risk if you've had a human papillomavirus (HPV) infection or have a history of genital warts. Your health care provider diagnoses vulvar cancer with a physical exam and a biopsy. Treatment varies, depending on your overall health and how advanced the cancer is. It might include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or biologic therapy. Biologic therapy boosts your body's own ability to fight cancer.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

Start Here

• Vaginal and Vulvar Cancer (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF Also in Spanish
• Vulvar Cancer (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Vulvar Cancer Treatment (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Symptoms

• Symptoms of Vaginal and Vulvar Cancers (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Tests for Vulvar Cancer (American Cancer Society)

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Can Vulvar Cancer Be Prevented? (American Cancer Society)
• Risk Factors for Vulvar Cancer (American Cancer Society)

Treatments and Therapies

• Drugs Approved for Vulvar Cancer (National Cancer Institute)

Living With

• Living as a Vulvar Cancer Survivor (American Cancer Society)

Related Issues

• Fertility Problems (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Specifics

• Questions to Ask Your Doctor about Vulvar Cancer (American Cancer Society)

Statistics and Research

• Cancer Stat Facts: Vulvar Cancer (National Cancer Institute)
• Key Statistics for Vulvar Cancer (American Cancer Society)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Vulvar Neoplasms (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Clinico-pathological and treatment characteristics of HIV and non-HIV related vulvar cancers:...
• Article: Evaluation of podoplanin expression in vulvar squamous cell carcinoma and stromal...
• Article: Expression of LHCG receptor in the human vulva.
• Vulvar Cancer -- see more articles

Reference Desk

• Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Vulva Anatomy (National Cancer Institute)

Find an Expert

• American Cancer Society
• Choosing a Cancer Doctor (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
• How to Find Find an Ob-Gyn (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists)
• National Cancer Institute Also in Spanish
• Organizations that Offer Cancer Support Services (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• After chemotherapy - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Pelvic radiation - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Vaginal and Vulvar Cancer (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF Also in Spanish
• Vulvar cancer (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish