Symptom Experience After Surgical Treatment for Vulvar Cancer-A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Gynecologic Oncology
• Patient-Reported Outcomes
• Symptom Management

Background:

• Vulvar cancer surgery leads to substantial physical, emotional, and sexual symptom burden.
• Evolving surgical techniques aim to mitigate post-operative symptoms.
• Limited comprehensive reviews exist on the wide range of symptoms experienced by these patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically map existing literature on women's symptom experiences following surgical treatment for vulvar cancer.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review was performed adhering to PRISMA-ScR guidelines.
• Searches included Embase, MEDLINE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO (2008-2024).
• Thematic analysis was applied to data from 20 selected studies.

Main Results:

• Identified themes include lymphedema, sexuality, body image, pain, physical functioning, fatigue, and urinary symptoms.
• Emotional symptoms and the role of social and professional support were also highlighted.
• Lymphedema and sexual dysfunction are significant post-surgical concerns.

Conclusions:

• Women treated for vulvar cancer experience multifaceted physical and emotional symptoms.
• There is a notable lack of qualitative studies exploring symptom experience in depth.
• A need exists for quantitative studies incorporating vulvar-specific patient-reported outcome measures.