Cancer - vulva - Prevention

Alternative Names

Cancer - perineum

Prevention:

Practicing safe sex may decrease your risk of vulvar cancer. This includes using condoms to protect against sexually transmitted diseases.

A new vaccine is available to protect against certain forms of HPV infection. The vaccine is approved to prevent cervical cancer and pre-cancers. It may help prevent other cancers linked to HPV, such as vulvar cancer. The vaccine is given to young girls before they become sexually active, and to adolescents and women up to age 26.

Routine pelvic exams can help diagnose vulvar and other cancers at an earlier stage. Earlier diagnosis improves the odds of treatment success.

Female perineal anatomy

Reviewed last on: 6/10/2008
David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and James R. Mason, MD, Oncologist, Director, Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program and Stem Cell Processing Lab, Scripps Clinic, Torrey Pines, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts and Figures 2006. Atlanta, Ga: American Cancer Society; 2006.

Whitcomb BP. Gynecologic malignancies. Surg Clin North Am. 2008;88:301-317.

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Cancer - vulva - Prevention

Alternative Names

Prevention:

References