Invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva

Clinical data on 266 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva seen between 1960 and 1979 are reported. Two-hundred and eleven of these patients were eligible for 5-year evaluation. The crude survival for these patients was 59%, and the 5-year crude survival for 195 patients treated with curative intention was 64%. Two-hundred-forty-four patients were treated with radical vulvectomy and in 122 patients lymphadenectomy was also performed. Fifty per cent of the patients treated with lymphadenectomy had lymph node metastases at the time of surgery. In 88% radiotherapy was included in the treatment of the regional lymph node regions. Treatment failures occurred in 25% of the patients. Prognosis was discussed in relation to tumour size, tumour site, and histological differentiation. The presence of lymphatic involvement and surgical radicality appeared to be the most significant prognostic factors.