Vulvar and vaginal cancer

Area of Science:

• Gynecologic Oncology
• Geriatric Oncology

Background:

• Vulvar cancer incidence rises with age, predominantly affecting elderly women.
• Early-stage diagnosis allows for curative treatment via surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy.
• Conservative therapeutic approaches minimize morbidity without compromising efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current treatment strategies for vulvar and vaginal cancers.
• To highlight the evolving role of sentinel lymph node biopsy in vulvar cancer management.
• To discuss treatment options for rare vaginal cancers.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent national and international studies on vulvar cancer treatment.
• Analysis of the efficacy and safety of conservative therapies.
• Evaluation of sentinel lymph node technology adoption in early-stage vulvar cancer.

Main Results:

• Conservative treatments reduce short- and long-term morbidity in vulvar cancer.
• Sentinel lymph node technology is increasingly validated as a standard of care for early-stage vulvar cancer.
• Vaginal cancer, though rare and with a poor prognosis, can be managed with combined radiotherapy and selective surgery.

Conclusions:

• Modern treatment paradigms for vulvar cancer prioritize conservative approaches and advanced techniques like sentinel lymph node biopsy.
• Effective management strategies exist for both common vulvar and rare vaginal cancers in the elderly population.