[Vulvar cancer. The therapeutic aspects]

Even though it has a low frequency (4 - 5%) compared to genital cancers, it has certain biological features represented by the possibility of multicentric localisation what performs on the dystrophic lesions, the presence of the inguinal nodes, the sensibility of the irradiation of the cancer and nodes and the efficacity of the treatment of the treatment of the bleomicine which request many therapeutical problems. Between 1985-1994, in Colţea Surgery Clinic there were operated 13 vulvar carcinoma, in women between 45-69 years old, in stages II (6), III (4) and IV b (3). Primary lesion was on labia major (11), labia minor (1) and posterior fourchette (1). Preoperative radiotherapy was made in 9 patients. At 3 patients, valvar lesion represents the second cancer--in all cases were syndrome neoplasia, after cervix neoplasia (2) or ano-rectal neoplasia (1) which were operated. At histopathological exam all cancers were spinocellular epithelium keratosis in 10, non-keratosis in 2 or trabecular in 1. The surgical treatment was selective and consisted in total vulvectomy (9), vulvectomy with inguinal lymphadenectomy (3) and left colostomy (1) after ano-rectal invasions and intestinal obstruction. The postoperative mortality and complications were zero. Postoperative treatment consisted in radiotherapy in association with chemotherapy 93) or only chemotherapy (8). The survival rates at 3 years (2), 5 years (30, 7 years) (3) and 10 years (2), justify the complex treatment. In conclusion, vulvectomy represents the specific treatment associated with inguinal lymphadenectomy in case of lymph nodes metastasis. Postoperative radiotherapy and postoperative chemotherapy seem to increase the survival rate.