[Treatment of vulvar cancer (author's transl)]

This is a report on 120 cases of vulvar cancer. The mean age at diagnosis was 66.5 years. 25% were younger than 60, and 10% younger than 50 years. 95% were squamous cell carcinoma. The main site of the primary lesion were the labia (71%). 55 patients had palpable nodes in the groins. 12% of all women (=28% of those treated by radical vulvectomyl) had metastases in the groins. 54 (45%) were treated by radical vulvectomy, of which 23 (43%) received postsurgical radiation. 63 patients had minor operation with consecutive radiation in 51 (81%) of them. The overall 5 year survival rate was 43%. It was 65% in the group treated by radical surgery and 24% in the group of minor surgery and radiation. The radical vulvectomy with bilateral inguinal and femoral lymphonodectomy is recommended as treatment of choice in all suitable cases. The radiation cannot replace radical surgery.