Vulvar cancer

Vulvar cancer is a rare cancer affecting the external female genital area. At Hadassah Medical Center, care is provided by an experienced multidisciplinary team, focusing on effective treatment while preserving quality of life, using advanced and minimally invasive approaches whenever possible.

Who is at risk?

More common in older women, but can occur in younger patients, especially with HPV infection. Other risk factors include smoking, chronic vulvar skin conditions (such as lichen sclerosus), and immune suppression.

Detection and Diagnosis:

Symptoms may include persistent itching, a lump, skin changes, pain, or a non-healing lesion. Diagnosis is based on:

• Clinical examination
• Biopsy of suspicious areas
• Imaging (ultrasound, CT, or PET-CT) may be used to assess spread when needed.

Types:

• Squamous cell carcinoma (most common)
• Less commonly: melanoma and other rare types

Treatment

Treatment is personalized based on stage, overall health, and patient preferences.

• Early stage: limited to the vulva
• Surgery to remove the tumor with a margin of healthy tissue
• Sentinel lymph node biopsy to assess spread while reducing complications
• Locally advanced disease: spread to nearby tissues or lymph nodes
• More extensive surgery ± lymph node removal
• Radiation therapy and/or chemoradiation, using precise modern techniques to minimize damage to healthy tissue
• Advanced/metastatic disease: spread to distant organs
• Systemic therapy (chemotherapy and, in selected cases, immunotherapy or targeted treatments)

At Hadassah, vulvar cancer care is performed by specialized teams with extensive experience, using the most advanced and least invasive techniques possible.

We are here to guide and support you throughout diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. Please make an appointment via email at: [email protected]