Learn what you can do to reduce your risk. Vulvar cancer can occur on any part of the external organs but most often affects the labia majora or labia minora.
Cancer of the vulva is a rare disease, accounting for 0. Most vulvar cancers are squamous cell carcinomas. Melanoma is another common type of vulvar cancer that is usually found in the labia minora or clitoris. Other types of vulvar cancer include:. The cause of vulvar cancer is not known at this time. However, certain risk factors are thought to contribute to development of the disease.
Suggestions for prevention include:. Routinely checking entire body for irregular growth of moles and checking your vulva regularly for any signs of vulvar cancer. They cannot be used to treat an existing HPV infection. To be most effective, one of the vaccines should be given before a person becomes sexually active. Johns Hopkins researchers are hard at work developing new detection methods for gynecologic cancers.
Learn more and discover how genetic testing for these cancers is saving lives. Age: Of the women who develop vulvar cancer, over 80 percent are over 50, and half are over Infection with certain types of HPV. HIV infection. Lichen sclerosus : This can cause the vulvar skin to become very itchy and may slightly increase the possibility of vulvar cancer.
Currently, there is no known way to prevent vulvar cancer. However, you may reduce your risk by not smoking or vaping. Vulvar cancer is usually treated with surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or a combination of treatments. The type of surgery depends on the size, depth and spread of the cancer.
Your doctor will review all the options for surgery and the pros and cons of each option. Even with surgery, some people may also need radiation therapy.
The key to a cure is to tell your doctor about any warning signs early and to have a biopsy right away. After treatment, be sure to go to all follow-up appointments that your doctor recommends. If surgery is part of your treatment, your body may look different afterward. Talk to your doctor about this so that you are prepared. These changes may make you feel different or less attractive. It may take time to get used to the changes. Remember, your friends and family love you.
Let them support you during this time. Do not push them away. Even with treatment, vulvar cancer may not completely go away. Or, if it does, you may live in fear of it coming back. That can cause much stress for you and your loved ones.
Consider joining a support group or talking to a therapist about your feelings. These discoveries have not yet affected treatment. But they may help in finding ways to prevent cancer of the vulva and at some point might lead to changes in treatment. Because vulvar melanomas and adenocarcinomas are so rare, much less is known about how they develop. The American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team. Our team is made up of doctors and oncology certified nurses with deep knowledge of cancer care as well as journalists, editors, and translators with extensive experience in medical writing.
American Cancer Society medical information is copyrighted material. For reprint requests, please see our Content Usage Policy. Download this topic [PDF]. Can Vulvar Cancer Be Prevented? What Causes Vulvar Cancer? Certain genes that promote cell division are called oncogenes. Others that slow down cell division or cause cells to die at the right time are called tumor suppressor genes. Written by References. The American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team Our team is made up of doctors and oncology certified nurses with deep knowledge of cancer care as well as journalists, editors, and translators with extensive experience in medical writing.
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