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

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• Related Issues
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• Statistics and Research
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• Journal Articles

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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

• General Information about Vulvar Cancer (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• 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 Overview (American Society of Clinical Oncology)
• What Is Vulvar Cancer? (American Cancer Society)

Symptoms

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

Diagnosis and Tests

• How Is Vulvar Cancer Diagnosed? (American Cancer Society)
• Stages of Vulvar Cancer (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

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

Treatments and Therapies

• Drugs Approved for Vulvar Cancer (National Cancer Institute)
• Treatment Option Overview (Vulvar Cancer) (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Treatment Options by Stage (Vulvar Cancer) (National Cancer Institute)

Living With

• What Will Happen After Treatment for Vulvar Cancer? (American Cancer Society)

Related Issues

• Cancer Treatment for Women: Possible Sexual Side Effects (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Fertility and Sexual Side Effects in People with Cancer (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Specifics

• Do We Know What Causes Vulvar Cancer? (American Cancer Society)
• What Should You Ask Your Doctor about Vulvar Cancer? (American Cancer Society)

Statistics and Research

• Cancer Statistics: Cancer of the Vulva (National Cancer Institute)
• What Are the Key Statistics about Vulvar Cancer? (American Cancer Society)
• What's New in Vulvar Cancer Research and Treatment? (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: Is There a Place for Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Vulvar Neoplasms?...
• Article: LDOC1 as Negative Prognostic Marker for Vulvar Cancer Patients.
• Article: p53 Immunohistochemical Patterns in HPV-Independent Squamous Cell Carcinomas of the 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
• Find a Cancer Doctor (American Society of Clinical Oncology)
• 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
• Cancer - vulva (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Pelvic (between the hips) radiation - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Vaginal and Vulvar Cancer (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF Also in Spanish