Current treatment of small vulvar cancers

Abstract

About half of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva have tumors 2 cm or less in diameter at the time of diagnosis. These Stage I tumors have an excellent prognosis. There is no standard operation applicable to every patient, but the trend is toward a more conservative resection of the primary lesion, with treatment individualized with respect to both the primary tumor and the groin nodes. Risk factors for local recurrence and groin metastasis should be analyzed, in order to determine the most conservative operation compatible with cure.