Abstract
Vulvar cancer (VC) is a rare disease. The most common histologic type is squamous-cell carcinoma. VC could be divided into two types: type one, commonly associated with HPV infection, occurs in young women and type two, associated with non-neoplastic lesions that usually occurs in older women. Previously VC was often treated with radical Vulvectomy. Today update in diagnostic and surgery technique, capable to identify early stages of disease and adaptation in surgery procedures, according to the stage of disease, age of patients and possible physical and psychological morbidity consequence, allow using less radical surgery approaches. That has led to decrease therapy-associated morbidity while preserving oncologic safety and improving psychosexual outcomes. Finally, several surgical treatments are available in case of VC and, despite radical surgery is often required, less radical surgery associated with reconstructive plastic surgery decreases some of short- and long-term associated complications.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Siegel R, Naishadham D, Jemal A (2013) Cancer statistics. CA Cancer J Clin 63(1):11–30. doi:10.3322/caac.21166 Epub 2013 Jan 17
Alkatout I, Schubert M, Garbrecht N, Weigel MT, Jonat W, Mundhenke C, Günther V (2015) Vulvar cancer: epidemiology, clinical presentation, and management options. Int J Womens Health 7:305–313. doi:10.2147/IJWH.S68979
Weikela W, Hofmannb M, Steinerb E, Knapsteinb PG, Koelblb H (2005) Reconstructive surgery following resection of primary vulvar cancers. Gynecol Oncol 99(1):92–100
Gargano JW, Wilkinson EJ, Unger ER, Steinau M, Watson M, Huang Y, Copeland G, Cozen W, Goodman MT, Hopenhayn C, Lynch CF, Hernandez BY, Peters ES, Saber MS, Lyu CW, Sands LA, Saraiya M (2012) Prevalence of human papillomavirus types in invasive vulvar cancers and vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia 3 in the United States before vaccine introduction. J Low Genit Tract Dis 16(4):471–479. doi:10.1097/LGT.0b013e3182472947
Woelber L, Kock L, Gieseking F, Petersen C, Trillsch F, Ml Choschzick et al (2011) Clinical management of primary vulvar cancer. Eur J Cancer 47(15):2315–2321. doi:10.1016/j.ejca.2011.06.007
Canavan TP, Cohen D (2002) Vulvar cancer. Am Fam Phys 66(7):1269–1274
Herr D, Juhasz-Boess I, Solomayer EF (2014) Therapy for primary vulvar carcinoma. Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd 74(3):271–275
Dittmer C, Fischer D, Diedrich K, Thill M (2011) Diagnosis and treatment options of vulvar cancer: a review. Arch Gynecol Obstet 285(1):183–193. doi:10.1007/s00404-011-2057-9
FIGO Committee on Gynecologic Oncology (2014) FIGO staging for carcinoma of the vulva, cervix, and corpus uteri. Int J Gynaecol Obstet 125(2):97–98. doi:10.1016/j.ijgo.2014.02.003
Stratton JF, Tidy JA, Paterson ME (2001) The surgical management of ovarian cancer. Cancer Treat Rev. 27(2):111–118
DeSimone CP, Van Ness JS, Cooper AL, Modesitt SC, DePriest PD, Ueland FR, Pavlik EJ, Kryscio RJ, van Nagell JR, Oncol Jr Gynecol (2007) The treatment of lateral T1 and T2 squamous cell carcinomas of the vulva confined to the labium majus or minus. Gynecol Oncol 104(2):390–395
Woelber L, Trillsch F, Kock L, Grimm D, Petersen C, Choschzick M, Jaenicke F, Mahner S (2013) Management of patients with vulvar cancer: a perspective review according to tumour stage. Ther Adv Med Oncol 5(3):183–192. doi:10.1177/1758834012471699
De Hullu JA, Van der Avoort IAM (2006) Management of vulvar cancers. EJSO 32:825–831 Epub 2006 May 11
De Hullu JA, Hollema H, Lolkema S, Boezen M, Boonstra H, Burger MP, Aalders JG, Mourits MJ, Der Van, Zee AG (2002) Vulvar carcinoma. The price of less radical surgery. Cancer 95(11):2331–2338
Gaarenstroom KN, Kenter GG, Trimbos JB, Agous I, Amant F, Peters AA, Vergote I (2003) Postoperative complications after vulvectomy and inguinofemoral lymphadenectomy using separate groin incisions. Int J Gynecol Cancer 13(4):522–527
Rouzier R, Haddad B, Plantier F, Dubois P, Pelisse M, Paniel BJ (2002) Local relapse in patients treated for squamous-cell vulvar carcinoma: incidence and prognostic value. Obstet Gynecol 100(6):1159–1167
Woelber L, Mahner S, Voelker K, Eulenburg CZ, Gieseking F, Choschzick M, Jaenicke F, Schwarz J (2009) Clinicopathological prognostic factors and patterns of recurrence in vulvar cancer. Anticancer Res 29(2):545–552
Sliutz G, Reinthaller A, Lantzsch T, Mende T, Sinzinger H, Kainz C, Koelbl H (2002) Lymphatic mapping of sentinel nodes in early vulvar cancer. Gynecol Oncol 84(3):449–452
Weikel W, Schmidt M, Steiner E, Knapstein PG, Koelbl H (2008) Reconstructive plastic surgery in the treatment of vulvar carcinomas. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 136(1):102–109
Al-Benna S, Tzakas E (2012) Postablative reconstruction of vulvar defects with local fasciocutaneous flaps and superficial fascial system repair. Arch Gynecol Obstet 286(2):443–448. doi:10.1007/s00404-012-2262-1
Lazzaro L, Guarneri GF, Rampino Cordaro E, Bassini D, Revesz S, Borgna G, Parodi PC (2010) Vulvar reconstruction using a ‘‘V-Y’’ fascio-cutaneous gluteal flap: a valid reconstructive alternative in post-oncological loss of substance. Arch Gynecol Obstet 282(5):521–527. doi:10.1007/s00404-010-1603-1
Weikel W, Schmidt M, Steiner E, Knapstein PG, Koelbl H (2006) Surgical therapy of recurrent vulvar cancer. Am J Obstet Gynecol 195(5):1293–1302
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Ethical standard
The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Department and conformed to the ethical guidelines of the Helsinki Declaration (as revised in Tokyo 2004). No study advertising was made and no remuneration was offered.
Research involving human participants or animals
This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.
Informed consent
No informed consent is required.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Vitale, S.G., Valenti, G., Biondi, A. et al. Recent trends in surgical and reconstructive management of vulvar cancer: review of literature. Updates Surg 67, 367–371 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13304-015-0303-6
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13304-015-0303-6