Vulvar Cancer (original) (raw)

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

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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

• 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 Treatment (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

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

• Tests for Vulvar Cancer (American Cancer Society)

• Drugs Approved for Vulvar Cancer (National Cancer Institute)

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Vulvar Neoplasms (National Institutes of Health)

• After chemotherapy - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

• Pelvic radiation - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

• Vaginal and Vulvar Cancer (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF Also in Spanish

• Vulvar cancer (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish