Cancer of the vulva is a rare type of cancer. There are about 1,000 diagnosed cases in the UK each year.
The symptoms of vulval cancer include pain, itching and bleeding of the vulva (see Symptoms).
The vulva
The vulva is made up of the:
- outer part of the vagina,
- clitoris, and
- two pairs of lips surrounding the entrance to the vagina, called the labia majora (the outer pair) and the labia minora (the inner pair).
Types of vulval cancer
There are two main types of vulval cancer:
- primary vulval cancer, where the cancer begins inside the vulva, and
- secondary vulval cancer, where the cancer begins in another part of the body (usually the reproductive system), such as the cervix or ovaries, and then spreads to the vulva.
The rest of these pages will focus on primary vulval cancer. See Useful links for more information about other cancers of the reproductive system.
Types of primary vulval cancer
There are five main types of vulval cancer. They are classified according to the type of cells that the cancer begins in:
- Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common type of vulval cancer, accounting for nine out of 10 cases. It develops from the squamous cells, the cells in the outer layer of skin. Squamous cell carcinoma usually grows slowly, over a few years.
- Vulval melanoma is the second most common type, but is still rare. It develops from the pigment-producing cells of the skin.
- Adenocarcinoma is very rare, developing from the cells that line the glands in the vulva.
- Verrucous carcinoma is a very rare and slow-growing type of vulval cancer that looks like a wart.
- Sarcoma is extremely rare, developing in tissue such as muscle or fat under the skin.
Cancer may occur in any part of the vulva. The most common sites are the edges of the inner and outer lips.
Less often, vulval cancer may affect the clitoris or the two small glands either side of the vagina called the Bartholin's glands. Occasionally, it is diagnosed in the skin that divides the vulva from the anus (the perineum).
Who is affected?
Most cases of vulval cancer are in women aged over 60. Early-stage vulval cancer (which is curable) can ocassionally occur in young women in their 20s, but it is extremely rare for these women to have later-stage vulval cancer.
Outlook
The outlook for vulval cancer is generally good if the cancer has not spread beyond the vulva.
However, the outlook for the melanoma type of vulval cancer is poor because it is very aggressive and spreads quickly.
The main treatment for vulval cancer is surgery to remove the cancerous tissue. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy may also be given (see Treatment).
