[Radiotherapy in vulvar cancer. Experience in the Hospital de Oncología, CMN, SXXI, IMSS]

Between 1986 and 1992, 42 patients with carcinoma of the vulva diagnosis, were treated at the Hospital de Oncologia, CMN, SXXI. Mean age was 63 years. There was 1 case stage I, 5 stage II, 25 stage III, 4 stage IV, 2 with recurrent disease and 5 patients could not be classified. Local control was reached in 60% of patients however, 12 patients developed local recurrence after surgery and/or radiation therapy, finally 43% of patients remained disease free after a mean of 19 months of followup. In the subset of advanced disease patients treated with radical or preoperative radiation therapy (27 patients), 41% of them remained without disease. Mean radiation doses for patients treated only with radiation therapy was 6500 cGy. Late vulvar fibrosis and acute desquamative dermatitis, were the morbidity more frequently observed. New directions in the management of vulvar cancer must be developed to improve treatment results, in patients with advanced disease.