The comparative study of former and latest FIGO staging of vulva cancer

By means of comparing the 2009 staging with the 1994 staging for vulva carcinoma on prognostic predicting, the essay aims to investigate the alterations of clinical decision due to the staging changing.

A retrospective analysis was adopted which involves 100 patients with primary squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva treated at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center from January 1980 to December 2005. Meanwhile, survival rate was calculated by life table method. In addition, Kaplan-Meirer method was used to evaluate the prognostic factors in univariate analysis. And the independent prognostic factors were provided through COX regression model.

Univariate analysis indicated that the prognostic factors of vulva squamous cell carcinoma were: age (P=0.018), lymph node metastasis (P=0.010), the 1988 staging (P=0.031), the 2009 staging (P=0.001), the number of positive lymphnodes (P<0.001), treatment method (P=0.011), recurrence site (P=0.024). COX regression model indicated that the independent prognostic factor was: the number of positive lymph nodes (P<0.001). Here was not significant difference in overall survival rate (P=0.454) between unilateral or bilateral lymph node metastasis. Also, lesion diameter was not an independent prognostic factor (P=0.380).

Compared with the 1994 staging, the 2009 staging made some modifications in lesion size, extension, lymph node status and so on. The 2009 staging is better than the 1994 staging on prognostic predicting and, which could guide the clinical treatment more accurately.