Vulvar Cancer Treatment in Lucknow

Vulvar Cancer Treatment in Lucknow

Vulvar cancer is a rare malignancy that forms on the external female genitalia, requiring specialised and expert medical care. This comprehensive guide details the condition's specific types, clinical symptoms, underlying causes, and key risk factors to help you better understand this cancer. Additionally, we outline the advanced, personalised treatment options Apollomedics Super Speciality Hospital Lucknow provides to effectively manage your health and support your recovery journey.

What is Vulvar Cancer?

The vulva is the outer part of the female genitals. Vulvar cancer develops when abnormal cells in this area begin to grow uncontrollably, leading to the formation of a tumour. It is a relatively uncommon type of cancer. However, it's important to remember that a rash, sore, lump, or small bump on the vulva does not necessarily mean cancer. These changes can occur due to several non-cancerous conditions, and only a doctor's examination can determine the underlying cause.

When vulvar cancer does develop, it usually progresses slowly, often over several years. This is why doctors closely monitor precancerous skin changes, as identifying and treating them early can help prevent cancer from developing and provide more treatment options.

Types of Vulvar Cancer

Squamous cell carcinoma accounts for the large majority of vulvar cancers. It develops in the flat cells that make up the surface of the vulvar skin. Doctors sometimes describe two forms of this cancer: one linked to HPV infection, which tends to affect younger women, and one linked to a skin condition called lichen sclerosus, which is more common in older women. Growth is usually confined to the vulva at first, though it can spread to nearby lymph nodes if left untreated for a long time.

A few other types occur far less often:

• Adenocarcinoma develops in the glands of the vulva, including the Bartholin's glands near the vaginal opening.
• Melanoma starts in the pigment-producing cells of the skin and can appear as a dark or unevenly coloured patch.
• Sarcoma grows in connective tissue such as muscle or fat, underneath the surface of the skin.
• Basal cell carcinoma is a slow-growing skin cancer that rarely spreads but can occasionally appear on the vulva.

Symptoms of Vulvar Cancer

Vulvar cancer can show up in a few different ways, and no single sign confirms it on its own. Watch for:

• A lump or growth on the vulva
• Persistent itching that doesn't go away
• Changes in skin colour or texture, like a rash, sores, or wart-like growths
• Unusual bleeding, particularly bleeding not related to a period
• Pain or tenderness in the vulvar area, including discomfort during urination

Please note [reassurance box]: These symptoms are common, and cancer is rarely the cause. Conditions like vulvar dermatitis, infections, and other skin irritations produce nearly identical symptoms, and they're far more common than vulvar cancer. The only way to know which one you're dealing with is to have it examined. If your symptoms have lasted more than a couple of weeks, book an appointment and let your doctor take a look.

Causes of Vulvar Cancer

HPV infection is one of the main known factors behind vulvar cancer. The virus can cause changes in the vulvar skin cells that, in some cases, progress to cancer over years. However, not everyone with HPV develops these changes, and the body clears the infection on its own in most cases. 

Another factor is vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia, or VIN. This is a condition where abnormal cells appear on the surface of the vulva but are still non-cancerous. VIN doesn't always progress to cancer, and many cases are treated successfully before that happens, which is why doctors monitor it closely once it's found. Chronic skin conditions affecting the vulva, when left untreated over many years, have also been linked to a small increase in risk.

Risk Factors

Several factors can raise the likelihood of developing vulvar cancer.

• HPV infection: Certain strains cause changes in vulvar skin cells over time.
• Vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN): An untreated case can progress to cancer.
• Genital warts: Caused by HPV strains, the same ones linked to vulvar cancer.
• Smoking: Damages skin cells and makes HPV infection harder for the body to clear.
• Age: Most cases occur after the age of 45-50. Younger women with VIN or HPV infection can develop it too.
• Weakened immune system: Illness and certain medications can both weaken the immune system, and a weaker immune system struggles more to clear HPV.
• Long-standing skin conditions: Untreated vulvar irritation or inflammation, over many years, can lead to VIN.

Diagnosis Procedure for Vulvar Cancer

The first step is usually a physical exam. The doctor looks at the vulva for lumps or changes in colour and texture, sometimes with a colposcope to magnify the view. When something looks concerning, a small tissue sample gets taken under local anaesthesia, just a few millimetres, and a pathologist checks it under a microscope to see if it is cancerous or benign. Results come back within about a week.

If cancer is confirmed, an MRI or CT scan is done. Surgeons use these to check whether it has reached nearby groin lymph nodes or other tissue, and to plan the extent of removal.

Cancer Staging

Doctors describe how far vulvar cancer has spread using four stages.

Staging is based on a physical exam, imaging, and biopsy findings, and it's what your doctor uses to plan treatment.

Treatment Options

Most women with vulvar cancer start treatment with surgery.

• Surgery 
  Smaller, localised cancers are usually treated with a local excision. The surgeon removes the abnormal tissue and a margin of healthy skin around it. For a larger cancer, more of the vulva may need to come out. This procedure is known as the vulvectomy. Surgeons check the groin lymph nodes during this same operation and remove them if signs of spread appear. Reconstructive surgery is also available afterwards for women who want it.
• Radiation therapy
  Radiation is often done after the surgery when cancer cells were found near the edge of removed tissue. It lowers the chance of the cancer returning. For women who cannot have surgery, or when the cancer has grown into nearby structures, radiation can be the main treatment instead. Doctors sometimes combine it with chemotherapy.
• Chemotherapy
  Cancer that has spread beyond the vulva is treated through chemotherapy. It is also a recommended option when there is a higher risk of recurrence. In many cases, it is combined with radiation treatment.
  Stage, location, and overall health together shape what a treatment plan looks like.

Recovery & Follow-up

Surgery usually needs a healing period of a few weeks, and your doctor will walk you through cleaning the area and caring for stitches or dressings. Some women develop swelling in the legs after lymph nodes are removed. This is a condition called lymphoedema. It doesn't always show up right away; sometimes it takes weeks or months to appear. Your care team keeps an eye on this. Compression garments help manage it. Physiotherapy is another option many women use.

Follow-up visits start around every three months after treatment ends. Your doctor checks for signs of recurrence at each one. Follow-up visits happen every six months at first, then once a year if your results stay clear. Your doctor examines you physically at each visit. Your doctor may order imaging or other tests when something warrants a closer look.

Treatment changes daily life in ways worth discussing with your care team. Intimacy and body image are common topics patients raise during recovery. Bringing these up with your doctor is important. At Apollo Hospitals, Lucknow, support services are available for this.

Why Choose Apollomedics Super Speciality Hospital Lucknow?

Vulvar cancer is uncommon, and getting an accurate diagnosis and the right treatment plan requires real experience with this specific condition. Here's why you should choose Apollomedics Lucknow:

• An experienced multidisciplinary team covering gynae-oncology, surgery, and radiation
• Advanced diagnostic and surgical technology, including imaging used to plan surgery precisely
• Personalised treatment planning built around your stage and health
• Coordinated care from diagnosis through recovery, under one roof

Meet the Specialist

Dr Esha Pai

Senior Consultant, Surgical Oncology

Dr Esha Pai is a highly skilled Surgical Oncologist with 13+ years of clinical experience. She specialises in the surgical management of a wide range of cancers, including vulvar, breast, gastrointestinal, and head and neck. 

 

FAQs

1.What does vulvar cancer look like in its early stages?

A small lump, a patch of skin that looks different from its surroundings, or a sore that won't heal are common early signs of vulvar cancer. None of these is obvious on their own, so a doctor’s opinion is crucial.

2. Is vulvar itching always a sign of cancer?

No. Vulvar dermatitis and infections cause itching far more often than cancer does. Itching lasting more than a couple of weeks calls for a doctor's visit.

3. What is the difference between vulvar cancer and vulvar dermatitis?

Vulvar dermatitis is not cancer. It causes itching, redness, and irritation, often triggered by allergens or skin sensitivity. Vulvar cancer instead involves abnormal cell growth. The two can look nearly the same on the skin, but they are quite different and require a consultation with a doctor.

4. How is vulvar cancer diagnosed?

A physical examination is performed first, sometimes with a magnifying instrument to get a clearer look at the skin. The doctor takes a small tissue sample from any area. A pathologist then examines it under a microscope to determine whether the cells are cancerous.
 

5. Is surgery always required for vulvar cancer?

Surgery is the main treatment for most women. Some cases require radiation, usually when a woman's health rules out surgery as an option.
 

6. What increases the risk of developing vulvar cancer?

HPV infection, vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia, genital warts, smoking, age over 45, a weakened immune system, and long-standing untreated skin conditions are the main known risk factors.

Related Services

• Cervical Cancer Treatment in Lucknow
• Vaginal Cancer Treatment in Lucknow
• Vulvar Dermatitis