What is Vaginal and Vulvar Cancer Treatment?
BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery), 10 years of experience
What is the meaning of Vaginal / Vulvar Cancer Treatment?
The various modes of treatment to treat vaginal or vulvar cancer are known as vaginal/ vulvar cancer treatments. This may include procedures like vulvectomy, surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted drug therapy, and immunotherapy.
Vaginal/ Vulvar cancer is a kind of cancer of the vulva or the external genitalia of a female.
The vulva is an area of skin surrounding the urethra (the part from which urine exits) and vagina (a muscular canal for sex, menstruation, and childbirth), including the labia (outer and inner lips of the vagina) and clitoris (a sexually sensitive tissue present between the lips of the vagina).
Vaginal/ Vulvar cancer normally develops a sore or lump on the vulva leading to itching.
Vaginal/ Vulvar cancer can develop at any age but is more common in cases of older adults.
In this article, we will be discussing in detail about Vaginal/ Vulvar cancer and its treatment.
- What are the types of Vaginal / Vulvar Cancers?
- What are the causes of Vaginal / Vulvar Cancer?
- What are the risk factors for Vaginal / Vulvar Cancer?
- What are the symptoms of Vaginal / Vulvar Cancer?
- How to diagnose Vaginal or Vulvar Cancer?
- What are the various Vaginal / Vulvar Cancer Treatments?
- What are the complications of Vaginal / Vulvar Cancer Treatments?
- How to prevent Vaginal / Vulvar Cancer?
- What is the cost of Vaginal / Vulvar Cancer Treatments in India?
What are the types of Vaginal / Vulvar Cancers?
The different types of vulvar cancers are:
- Squamous cell carcinoma: This is the most common type of vulvar cancer. It affects the flat, outer layers of the skin.
- Vulvar melanoma: A melanoma is seen as a dark patch of discoloration. It is a high-risk type of cancer that can spread to other parts of the body. This process is known as metastasis. This type of cancer is normally seen in younger women.
- Adenocarcinoma: This type of cancer begins in the glandular tissue, which are the cells lining the glands in the vulva. It is a rare form of vulvar cancer.
- Sarcoma: This type of cancer originates in the connective tissue. It is a rare type of cancer and is mostly malignant (cancerous).
- Verrucous carcinoma: It is a subtype of squamous cell cancer, and appears like a slowly growing wart.
What are the causes of Vaginal / Vulvar Cancer?
- The exact cause of vulvar cancer is unknown.
- Cancer begins when a cell develops mutations (changes) in its DNA.
- The DNA contains instructions that inform a cell what is to be done. The mutations instruct the cell to grow and divide rapidly.
- The abnormal cells accumulate to form a tumor that may be cancerous, invading the tissue nearby and spreading to the other parts of the body.
What are the risk factors for Vaginal / Vulvar Cancer?
Certain factors increase the risk of developing vulvar cancer. These factors include:
- Age above 65 years
- Exposure to Human papillomavirus (HPV) (a sexually transmitted infection)
- Smoking
- A weak immune system
- Presence of a skin condition involving the vulva like lichen sclerosus (inflammatory disorder affecting the skin on the genitals)
- History of genital warts (a common sexually transmitted disease)
- Multiple sexual partners
- History of abnormal Pap tests (screening test for cervical cancer)
- Having vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (precancerous condition of the vulva)
(Know more about-What are the symptoms of Sexually Transmitted Diseases? Types, Prevention)
What are the symptoms of Vaginal / Vulvar Cancer?
There are no symptoms seen in the early stages of vulvar cancer. The symptoms develop much later in life and may include:
- Abnormal bleeding
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- Pain during urination
- Discoloration of a patch of skin
- Itching in the vulvar area
- Tenderness and pain in the vulvar region
- Wart-like sores or a lump on the vulva
How to diagnose Vaginal / Vulvar Cancer?
- Physical examination: The doctor will first physically examine the patient and note the symptoms of the patient. The patient’s medical history and family history are also noted.
- Pelvic exam: The doctor inserts one or two gloved fingers into the vagina to check the vagina, uterus (womb), bladder (a sac in which urine is stored), and the rectum (lower part of the large intestine that stores stools).
- Colposcopy: A magnifying tool known as a colposcopy can give an idea about any problems that may be present in the vulva, vagina, and cervix.
- Biopsy: This procedure involves the excision of a small part of the affected tissue and sending it to the laboratory to check for the presence of cells and the type of cancer cells present.
- Imaging tests: X-rays, CT scans, MRI scans, PET scans are all imaging tests done to obtain a clear image of the internal organs of the body. These tests are recommended to check for the presence of cancer or tumor and check how far has it spread.
( Know more about- What is Colposcopy? Purpose, Procedure, Results, Cost)
What are the various Vaginal / Vulvar Cancer Treatments?
The treatment of vaginal or vulvar cancer depends on the type of cancer, how far it has spread, and the overall health of the patient. The various treatment options for vulvar cancer include:
- Surgery:
- Surgery is the most common form of treatment for vaginal or vulvar cancer.
- The following surgical procedures can be done:
- Ultrasound surgical aspiration: This procedure involves the breaking up of the tumor into small pieces by using sound waves. The surgeon then removes these pieces.
- Excision: The removal of the tumor and the tissue around it is known as excision.
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- A wide local excision is the removal of some of the tissue.
- A radical local excision involves the removal of a large amount of the tissue, and sometimes even the surrounding lymph nodes.
- Laser surgery: The surgeon uses a laser to cut into or remove the affected tissue such as the lymph nodes, parts of the vulva, or other affected organs. This form of treatment cannot be used for invasive tumors.
- Vulvectomy: This is a procedure of removing a part of or the entire vulva. Vulvectomy can be of many types:
- Skinning vulvectomy: The top layer of the skin of the vulva is taken off.
- Simple vulvectomy: This involves the removal of the entire vulva and the tissue just under the skin.
- Modified or partial vulvectomy: This procedure involves the removal of most of the vulva and sometimes, the nearby lymph nodes.
- Radical vulvectomy: This is the removal of the entire vulva and the nearby lymph nodes.
- Pelvic exenteration: This procedure includes the removal of the vulva, lymph nodes, and one or more of the nearby affected organs like the rectum, bladder, uterus, cervix, vagina, or lower colon.
( Know more about- What is Cervical Cancer? Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, Prevention )
- Radiation therapy:
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- This is a procedure involving the use of high-powered energy beams such as x-rays and protons to kill the cancer cells.
- This procedure can either be done using a machine that beams the rays into the body or by implanting a needle or seed inside the body, on or near the cancer site.
- Chemotherapy:
- This is a procedure involving the use of medications to kill or stop the growth of cancer cells.
- These drugs are either taken orally or given into a vein (intravenously).
- Some medications are given in the form of cream or lotion that can be applied to the skin.
- Targeted drug therapy:
- This therapy focuses on specific abnormalities that are present within the cancer cells.
- The cancer cells are killed by blocking these abnormalities.
- This therapy can be used in advanced cases of vulvar cancer.
- Immunotherapy:
- This therapy targets the immune (disease-fighting) system of the body to fight against cancer.
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What are the complications of Vaginal / Vulvar Cancer Treatments?
The following complications can be seen post vulvar cancer treatments:
- Damage to the bladder
- Irritation to the bowels causing changes in the bowel movements
- Urinary infections
- Dryness or shrinking of the vaginal tissue
- Scarring of the vaginal tissue
( Know more about- What is Vaginal Irritation? Treatments, Home remedies, Complications )
- Discomfort on wearing tight pants
- Blood clot formation, that can travel to the lungs
- Hair loss
- Fluid-filled cyst formation
- Lymphedema (severe swelling in the legs due to lymphatic fluid buildup)
- Fistula (opening between the bladder or rectum and the vagina) formation
If you notice any of the above complications post vulvar cancer treatment, contact your doctor.
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How to prevent Vaginal / Vulvar Cancer?
The risk of developing vulvar cancer can be reduced by the following methods:
- Quit smoking.
- Use a condom while having sex to avoid the risk of contracting HPV, which is a sexually transmitted disease.
- Children and adults may get the HPV vaccine, to protect themselves against this virus.
- Get regular check-ups done by the doctor.
( Know more about- What is a Condom? Types, Usage, Benefits and Side effects )
What is the cost of Vaginal / Vulvar Cancer Treatments in India?
The total cost of vaginal or vulvar cancer treatment in India can range from around INR 2,50,000 to INR 4,00,000. However, the cost of the procedure may vary across different hospitals. There are many big hospitals and specialized doctors in India for vaginal or vulvar cancer treatment. The cost varies across different hospitals.
If you are coming from abroad, in addition to the expenses of vaginal or vulvar cancer treatment, there will be a cost of staying in a hotel, cost of living, and cost of local travel. Apart from this, after the procedure, the patient is kept in hospital for 5 days and in the hotel for 15 days for recovery. So, the total cost of vaginal or vulvar cancer treatment in India comes to be around INR 3,00,000 to INR 5,00,000.
We hope that we were able to answer all your questions regarding vaginal or vulvar cancer and vaginal or vulvar cancer treatment through this article.
If you want more information and treatment for vaginal or vulvar cancer, you can contact the Surgical Oncologist.
We only aim to give you information through the article and do not recommend medication or treatment in any way. Only a doctor can give you the best advice and correct treatment plan.