Bartholin Gland Carcinoma: A State-of-the-Art Review of Epidemiology, Histopathology, Molecular Testing, and Clinical...

Bartholin gland carcinoma (BGC) is a rare malignancy, comprising 3-7% of vulvar cancers and <1% of gynecologic tumors. Due to its low incidence, high-level evidence is lacking, and management is largely extrapolated from vulvar cancer guidelines. This comprehensive narrative review synthesizes current evidence on BGC, emphasizing histotype-specific features, diagnostic criteria, molecular profiling, and treatment strategies. The three most common subtypes are squamous cell carcinoma, adenoid cystic carcinoma (AdCC), and adenocarcinoma. HPV-associated tumors tend to occur in younger women and carry favorable prognoses. Accurate diagnosis requires exclusion of metastases and integration of clinical, imaging, and immunohistochemical data, including p16/HPV for squamous tumors, MYB/MYBL1 fusions for AdCC, and CK20/CDX2/SATB2 for intestinal-type adenocarcinoma. Approximately 50% of cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage due to misclassification as benign cysts or abscesses. Nodal metastasis occurs in >40% of cases, with histotype influencing prognosis. Adenocarcinoma and node-positive disease independently predict worse survival. Treatment hinges on complete surgical excision with 2-3 mm margins, bilateral groin evaluation, and histology-tailored adjuvant therapy. Emerging data support the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors in squamous BGC and targeted agents (e.g., mTOR/CDK4/6 inhibitors) in adenocarcinoma. We propose a practical molecular testing algorithm and highlight the urgent need for prospective, multinational collaboration to establish BGC-specific guidelines.