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Cancer - vulva - Symptom

Alternative Names

Cancer - perineum

Symptoms:

Women with this condition will often have itching around the vagina for years. They may have used different skin creams. They may also have bleeding.

Other skin changes that may occur around the vulva:

Mole or freckle, which may be pink, red, white, or gray
Skin thickening or lump
Skin sore (ulcer)

Other symptoms:

Almost 20% of women with vulvar cancer have no symptoms.

Signs and tests:

The following tests are used to diagnose vulvar cancer:

Biopsy
CT scan or MRI of the pelvis to look for cancer spread
Pelvic examination to look for any skin changes

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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