Vulvar cancer – clinical aspects and treatment

Abstract

Vulvar cancer is a rare disease, accounting for 3 to 5% of malignant gynecological neoplasms. It affects mostly elderly and low-income women. The most common histological type is squamous cell carcinoma (80 to 90%), followed by melanoma, sarcoma, and basal cell carcinoma. It is important to emphasize that there is no screening for vulvar cancer, and the diagnosis is made through histopathological study, i.e., biopsy of suspicious vulvar lesion. In recent years, many changes have been made in relation to the treatment of vulvar cancer: more conservative surgery, that is, a less radical and more individualized approach, and sentinel lymph node investigation, followed by better psychosexual results. In advanced cases of the disease, concomitant chemotherapy and radiotherapy are indicated.