Recent trends in surgical and reconstructive management of vulvar cancer: review of literature

Updates Surg. 2015 Dec;67(4):367-71. doi: 10.1007/s13304-015-0303-6. Epub 2015 Jun 13.

Abstract

Vulvar cancer (VC) is a rare disease. The most common histologic type is squamous-cell carcinoma. VC could be divided into two types: type one, commonly associated with HPV infection, occurs in young women and type two, associated with non-neoplastic lesions that usually occurs in older women. Previously VC was often treated with radical Vulvectomy. Today update in diagnostic and surgery technique, capable to identify early stages of disease and adaptation in surgery procedures, according to the stage of disease, age of patients and possible physical and psychological morbidity consequence, allow using less radical surgery approaches. That has led to decrease therapy-associated morbidity while preserving oncologic safety and improving psychosexual outcomes. Finally, several surgical treatments are available in case of VC and, despite radical surgery is often required, less radical surgery associated with reconstructive plastic surgery decreases some of short- and long-term associated complications.

Keywords: Cancer; Management; Reconstruction; Surgery; Vulvar.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Carcinoma / surgery
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lymph Node Excision
  • Melanoma / surgery
  • Surgical Flaps / trends
  • Vulvar Lichen Sclerosus / surgery
  • Vulvar Neoplasms / surgery*