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Cancer - vulva - Overview

Alternative Names

Cancer - perineum

Definition of Cancer - vulva:

Vulvar cancer is cancer that starts in the vulva. Vulvar cancer most often affects the labia, the folds of skin outside the vagina. In some cases, vulvar cancer may start on the clitoris or in glands on the sides of the vagina opening.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Most vulvar cancers begin in skin cells called squamous cells. Other vulvar cancers are:

Adenocarcinoma
Basal cell carcinoma
Melanoma
Sarcoma

Vulvar cancer is relatively rare. Risk factors include:

Human papilloma virus (HPV, or genital warts) infection in women under age 50
Chronic skin changes such as lichen sclerosis or squamous hyperplasia in women over age 50
History of cervical cancer or vaginal cancer
Smoking

Women with a condition called vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN) have a greater risk of developing vulvar cancer that spreads. However, most cases of VIN never lead to cancer.

Female perineal anatomy

Reviewed last on: 1/31/2010
Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington, School of Medicine; and Yi-Bin Chen, MD, Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Zhingran A, Russell AH, Seiden MV, et al. Cancers of the cervix, vulva, and vagina. In: Abeloff MD, Armitage JO, Niederhuber JE, Kastan MB, McKenna WG, eds. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone; 2008:chap 91.

Kumar S, Shah JP, Bryant CS, et al. A comparison of younger vs older women with vulvar cancer in the United States. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2009;200:e52-e55.

van Seters M, van Beurden M, ten Kate FJ, Beckmann I, Ewing PC, Eijkemans MJ, et al. Treatment of vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia with topical imiquimod. N Engl J Med. 2008;358:1465-1473.

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