What are the symptoms and characteristics of vulvar cancer?

  There are many types of vulvar cancer, the most common one clinically is vulvar squamous cell carcinoma,, which accounts for about 90% of vulvar cancers, followed by vulvar malignant melanoma and vulvar basal cell carcinoma. The disease is mainly associated with human papillomavirus HPV (especially high-risk HPV types 16, 18, 31) infection and smoking, from vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN), which tends to be multifocal and mostly occurs in young women; or with chronic non-neoplastic skin mucosal lesions, such as vulvar squamous epithelial hyperplasia and sclerosing moss, which tends to be unifocal and mostly occurs in older women.  Clinical manifestations: Chronic non-neoplastic skin mucosal lesions of the vulva, such as vulvar squamous epithelial hyperplasia and sclerosing moss, manifest as severe vulvar pruritus, and if long-lasting ulcers are formed, beware of the occurrence of vulvar cancer. Therefore, the lesions seen in vulva are usually found in the labia majora, but can also grow in any part of vulva, such as labia minora, clitoris and perineum. Clinical symptoms such as prolonged and untreated vulvar itching and various forms of swellings, such as nodular, cauliflower, ulcerated, etc. should be taken into consideration and biopsy should be taken for pathological diagnosis. When the swelling is combined with infection or advanced cancer, pain, exudation and bleeding may appear. The treatment and prognosis of vulvar cancer are related to the site of occurrence. Lesions in the vestibule and clitoris tend to be poorly differentiated or undifferentiated, and often have lymphatic vessels and perineural invasion.  Surgery is the main treatment for vulvar cancer. Since there are more important structures in vulva, involving urethra, vagina, anus, clitoris and other important structures, individualization is emphasized to minimize the scope of surgery without affecting the prognosis, in order to preserve the anatomical structure and function of vulva and improve the quality of life.