Approximately 500 deaths from vulvar cancer occur annually in the United States. Because of recognizable symptoms and ease of examination by biopsy, malignancies of the vulva can be detected in an early stage, when therapy can be curative. Death from vulvar cancer results from failure to The cause of vulvar malignancies remains unknown, although the association of squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva with other neoplasms of the anogenital mucosa has long suggested a common etiology. Preliminary data on oncogenesis, however, has not been conclusive. The lesions may appear to be white because of thick surface keratin or red if hyperemia is present within the dermal papillae.
Pigmentation is common, especially with bowenoid neoplasia.
Often the lesions appear The impetus to perform more conservative surgery for invasive cancer has been the realization that radical vulvectomy is associated with severe psychosocial sequelae. When compared with healthy adult women, women who have undergone a vulvectomy report lower levels of sexual arousal and poor body image. Screening No specific screening method is available. The profile of a vulnerable patient should always be considered. The average age at which invasive disease is diagnosed is 65 years.