Vulvar Cancer

The term vulva means the external sex organs of a woman. The vulva is made up of two pairs of lips. The outer pair of lips is called the labia majora and the inner pair of lips is called the labia minora. 

Between these lips are two openings. One opening is the entrance to the vagina. The other opening is the urethra, which is the short tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body.

At the front of the vulva is the small organ called the clitoris, which helps a woman reach a sexual climax.

The rounded area of fatty tissue in front of the pubic bone is called the mons pubis.

The opening to the back passage, the anus, is also close to the vulva, but is separate from it.

Most women with vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN) have no symptoms at all. When a woman with VIN does have a symptom, it is most often itching that does not go away or get better. An area of VIN may look different than normal vulvar skin. It is often thicker and lighter than the normal skin around it. However, an area of VIN can also appear red, pink, or darker than the surrounding skin.

Because these changes are often caused by other conditions that are not pre-cancerous, some women don't realize that they might have a serious condition. Some try to treat the problem themselves with over-the-counter remedies. Sometimes doctors might not even recognize the condition at first.

Symptoms of vulval cancer

Symptoms of vulval cancer can include:

• a persistent itch in the vulva
• pain, soreness or tenderness in the vulva
• raised and thickened patches of skin that can be red, white or dark
• a lump or wart-like growth on the vulva
• bleeding from the vulva or blood-stained vaginal discharge between periods
• an open sore in the vulva
• a burning pain when passing urine
• a mole on the vulva that changes shape or colour

What causes vulval cancer?

The exact cause of vulval cancer is unclear, but your risk of developing the condition is increased by the following factors:

• increasing age
• vulval intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN) – where the cells in the vulva are abnormal and at risk of turning cancerous
• persistent infection with certain versions of the human papilloma virus (HPV)
• skin conditions affecting the vulva, such as lichen sclerosus
• smoking

You may be able to reduce your risk of vulval cancer by stopping smoking and taking steps to reduce the chances of picking up an HPV infection.

Thanks

HMRC