Treatment of recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva

Continuous follow-up of 244 patients treated for primary invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva during a 20-year period (1960-1979) resulted in the detection of recurrent (or persistent) disease in 60 cases. Forty-one of these cases developed local or regional recurrence, or both, later than six months after treatment, and an analysis of the result of retreatment in this group is presented. Twenty-nine had local recurrences, nine regional metastases and three local recurrences and regional metastases. The treatment technique for local recurrences was surgery, in a few cases combined with irradiation and chemotherapy. In approximately one-third of the cases, this treatment resulted in long-term or permanent cure. In cases of regional metastases the prognosis was often extremely poor, but treatment normally gave good palliation although of short duration.