What is Vulval Cancer?
Vulvar cancer is very rare. About 1,300 diagnoses are made in the UK each year, accounting for less than 1-in-100 cancers in women. It is found more commonly in older women, mostly those 65 or over although, around 15 out of every 100 cases are in women under 50. The vulva is the outer part of a woman’s genitals and includes the opening of the vagina, and the clitoris but is most commonly found in the labia majora (outer lips) and the labia minora (inner lips).
The precise cause of vulval cancer is not yet known. However, there are certain risk factors that can foster the chances of developing the condition:
Cell changes: Vulval Intraepithelial Neoplasia (VIN) causes changes to the skin of the vulva. VIN is linked to the human papilloma virus (HPV) and although the changes are not cancerous, it is precancerous and if not treated can lead to cancer of the vulva.
Age: The chances of developing vulval cancer increase as you get older.
Smoking: Smoking can increase the risk of developing both VIN and vulval cancer. The chemicals found in cigarettes can affect how your body fights infection.
Skin Conditions: Certain skin conditions such as, Vulval Lichen Sclerosus and Vulval Lichen Planus occurring over a long period (chronic) can mean you have a higher risk of developing vulval cancer.
There are more than one type of vulval cancer, although some of which are very rare;
- Squamous cell carcinoma
- Adenocarcinoma
- Vulval Melanoma
- Verrucous Carcinoma
- Sarcoma
Treatments available at Clatterbridge Private Clinic
Radiotherapy
You may be given radiotherapy to reduce the risk of breast cancer coming back in the breast, chest or lymph nodes.
Radiotherapy uses high-energy x-rays to destroy cancer cells. Normal cells can also be damaged by radiotherapy, which may cause side effects. But careful planning and newer ways of giving radiotherapy have reduced the risk of damage to healthy tissue and nearby organs. Cancer cells cannot repair themselves after radiotherapy, but normal cells usually can.
Chemotherapy
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Immunotherapy
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Surgery
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- Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy
You may be given radiotherapy to reduce the risk of breast cancer coming back in the breast, chest or lymph nodes.
Radiotherapy uses high-energy x-rays to destroy cancer cells. Normal cells can also be damaged by radiotherapy, which may cause side effects. But careful planning and newer ways of giving radiotherapy have reduced the risk of damage to healthy tissue and nearby organs. Cancer cells cannot repair themselves after radiotherapy, but normal cells usually can.
- Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
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- Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy
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- Surgery
Surgery
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Vulval Cancer Specialists
