Therapeutic Approaches to Vulvar Cancer: A Review of Literature

Abstract

Objective: Vulvar cancer is a rare gynecological cancer that mainly affects postmenopausal women. The aim of this review is to analyze the most recent data available in the literature on the clinical and therapeutic approach to vulvar carcinoma. Mechanism: Studies available in the literature on the therapeutic management of patients with vulvar carcinoma until November 2022 have been screened. A comprehensive search was performed in the PubMed (MEDLINE), EMBASE, SCOPUS and Web of Science databases. Findings in Brief: The approach to vulvar carcinoma has deeply evolved over the years. The management of early-stage vulvar carcinomas is well established and widely shared, while that of advanced and recurrent cancers is a subject of debate. The assessment of the nodal status has changed from the past with the passage from inguinal lymphadenectomy to the removal of only the sentinel node. Conclusions: The gold standard for the management of vulvar cancer is surgery, applicable in the first instance in early-stage tumors and after neoadjuvant therapy for larger tumors. Assessment of the nodal state is crucial and the method to be used depends on the degree of suspicious of positive lymph nodes. The prognosis is good if the treatment is applicable as soon as possible.

Keywords

• vulvar cancer
• vulvectomy
• nodal status
• vulvar flap
• vulvar surgery
• vulvar safe margins