Vulvar Cancer Treatment

We take pride in offering this specialized care. It’s what we do — deliver compassionate care rooted in gynecologic cancer expertise and supported by advanced technology.

Knowing your cancer stage (how far the cancer has spread from the vulva) is an important part of developing the right treatment plan for you. Physicians might perform tests such as:

• Imaging like CT scans, MRI scans or PET scans.
• Scope exams like a cystoscopy or a proctoscopy.
• Sentinel node biopsy, where a lymph node close to the tumor is removed to check for cancer cells.

Staging is key to determining how to treat vulvar cancer. There are four stages of vulvar cancer:

• Stage 1 means cancer cells are found only on the vulva or perineum, the area between the rectum and vagina. It has not spread to nearby lymph nodes or other parts of the body.
• Stage 2 vulvar cancer has grown into the lower part of the anus, vagina or urethra. It has not spread to nearby lymph nodes or other parts of the body.
• Stage 3 means the cancer has spread to the pelvic bone or to one or more nearby lymph nodes. It has not spread to distant parts of the body.
• Stage 4 vulvar cancer has spread into the upper part of the urethra, vagina or to distant areas of the body such as the lungs or bones.

Once the stage of the disease is established, your clinical care team will review the treatment options best suited for your cancer, giving you plenty of time to consider all choices before making a decision.

Surgery

This may include a simple partial or radical partial vulvectomy. In addition, some patients may require an assessment of lymph nodes in the groin or lower abdomen.

Immunotherapy

This type of therapy uses medicine to boost the body’s immune system to better recognize and destroy cancer cells.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy uses drugs delivered via a vein — or sometimes a pill or topical lotion — to attack cancer cells throughout the body.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy uses high-energy gamma rays or X-rays with particles (electrons, protons, neutrons) to kill cancer cells. It’s often paired with chemotherapy or surgery.

Winship is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in Georgia and is a leader in cancer treatment innovation, offering more clinical trials than anywhere else in the state. Talk to your doctor to see if a clinical trial is right for you.

Winship offers a full suite of services, plus a supportive care team, to guide you every step of the way, from diagnosis through treatment and beyond.