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Simple Summary: Vulvar cancer is a rare cancer but has a high cure rate if diagnosed early and treated appropriately. In the early 20th century, 5-year survival rates were only 15–20% because of inadequate treatment of both the primary cancer and the groin lymph nodes. By the mid-20th century, 5-year survival rates rose to 60–70% with the introduction of the radical resection of the vulva, together with the radical resection of the groin and usually pelvic lymph nodes. Although cure rates were good, physical and psychological morbidity were high with this extensive surgery. Hence, various modifications have been proposed over the past 50 years to decrease this morbidity without compromising survival, including modifications to the extent of both the vulvectomy and lymph node dissection. This paper looks at the results these modifications have on both survival and morbidity. Vulvar cancer is a rare disease, and cure rates were low until the mid-20th century. The introduction of an en bloc radical vulvectomy and bilateral groin and pelvic lymph node dissection saw them rise from 15–20% to 60–70%. However, this very radical surgery was associated with high physical and psychological morbidity. Wounds were usually left open to granulate, and the average post-operative hospital stay was about 90 days. Many attempts have been made to decrease morbidity without compromising survival. Modifications that have proven to be successful are as follows: (i) the elimination of routine pelvic node dissection, (ii) the use of separate incisions for groin dissection, (iii) the use of unilateral groin dissection for lateral, unifocal lesions, (iv) and radical local excision with 1 cm surgical margins for unifocal lesions. Sentinel node biopsy with ultrasonic groin surveillance for patients with node-negative disease has been the most recent modification and is advocated for patients whose primary cancer is <4 cm in diameter. Controversy currently exists around the need for 1 cm surgical margins around all primary lesions and on the appropriate ultrasonic surveillance for patients with negative sentinel nodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although rare, vulvar melanoma is the second most common histological type of vulvar cancer, representing around 10% of all malignant tumors involving the vulva presenting typically in post-menopausal women. The data on vulvar melanoma consists almost entirely of case studies and small retrospective series. A standardized approach to the diagnosis and management of vulvar melanoma is not available. In this paper, a case of vulvar melanoma in remission is described and a review of the current literature is presented. A 73-year-old, G5P5 (5-0-0-5), complained of a 3-year history of intense vaginal pruritus. A biopsy was done at the site of the hyperpigmented patch revealing vulvar melanoma. CT scan was done before surgery and revealed negative lymph node invasion nor metastasis. The patient underwent a radical vulvectomy followed by adjuvant radiotherapy which offered remission of disease for 5 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article emphasizes the importance of effective wound care following vulvectomy, focusing on infection prevention, pain management, and emotional support for patients. Topics include the challenges of vulvar wound care, the role of nurses in infection control and pain relief, and the significance of psychological support in enhancing patient recovery.

Vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC) can be stratified into three molecular subtypes based on the immunoexpression of p16 and p53: HPV-independent p53-abnormal (p53abn) (most common, biologically aggressive), HPV-associated, with p16-overexpression (second most common, prognostically more favourable) and more recently recognised HPV-independent p53-wildtype (p53wt) (rarest subtype, prognostically intermediate). Our aim was to determine whether molecular subtypes can be reliably identified in pre-operative biopsies and whether these correspond to the subsequent vulvectomy specimen. Matched-paired pre-surgical biopsies and subsequent resection specimen of 57 patients with VSCC were analysed for the immunohistochemical expression of p16 and p53 by performing a three-tiered molecular subtyping to test the accuracy rate. Most cases 36/57 (63.2%) belonged to the HPV-independent (p53-abn) molecular subtype, followed by HPV-associated 17/57 (29.8%) and HPV-independent (p53wt) 4/57 (7.0%). The overall accuracy rate on biopsy was 91.2% (52/57): 97.3% for p53-abnormal, 94.1% for p16-overexpression and 50% for p16-neg/p53-wt VSCC. Incorrect interpretation of immunohistochemical p53 staining pattern was the reason for discordant results in molecular subtyping in all five cases. In one case there was an underestimation of p53 pattern (wildtype instead of abnormal/aberrant) and in one case an overestimation of the p53 staining pattern (abnormal/aberrant instead of wildtype). In 3/5 there was a "double positive" staining result (p16 overexpression and abnormal/aberrant p53 staining pattern). In that cases additional molecular workup is required for correct molecular subtyping, resulting in an overall need for molecular examination of 3/57 (3.5%). Compared to the final resections specimen, the three-tiered molecular classification of VSCC can be determined on pre-surgical biopsies with a high accuracy rate. This enables more precise surgical planning, prediction of the response to (chemo) radiation, selection of targeted therapies and planning of the optimal follow-up strategy for patients in the age of personalised medicine. • Vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC) can be categorised into three molecular subtypes based on p53 and p16 immunoexpression. • Subtypes: HPV-independent p53-abnormal (63.2%), followed by HPV-associated (29.8%) and HPV-independent/ p53wt (7.0%). • Overall accuracy rate of molecular subtype, determined on biopsy compared to surgical resection specimen was 91.2%. • Incorrect interpretation of p53 immunostaining pattern was the reason for discordant results in molecular subtyping. • Molecular subtypes can be reliably identified in preoperative biopsies and correspond to the subsequent vulvectomy specimen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Distant metastases of vulvar SCC most commonly involve the lung, liver, bone, skin, and lymph nodes. Metastasis from vulvar SCC to the kidneys is extremely rare, with only one case reported in the literature to date. Case presentation: We report the case of a 53-year-old postmenopausal female patient was diagnosed with vulvar squamous cell carcinoma in an external hospital and following the diagnosis, she had been performed a vulvectomy for squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva, at that time, the patient had not undergone inguinal lymphadenectomy. In July 2019, she was admitted to our hospital due to upper right quadrant pain. An enhanced whole-body CT scan showed a mixed-density tumor of the right kidney with invasion into the right renal portal vein and multiple enlarged retroperitoneal lymph nodes. Positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET - CT) scan showed a significantly increased radioactivity uptake in the tumor and enlarged lymph nodes, but PET-CT did not show abnormal enlargement of bilateral inguinal lymph nodes and no abnormal increase in radioactivity uptake. PET-CT examination did not show recurrence in terms of local of vulvar. These results led us to be gravely worried about possible renal carcinoma, so it was agreed upon to perform laparoscopic nephrectomy of the right kidney in the same month. Histology of the resected tumor confirmed it to be poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma with invasion consistent with metastatic vulvar carcinoma. Based on clinical history, radiological and histological facts, the patient was diagnosed with kidney metastasis from vulvar squamous cell carcinoma. Recovery from surgery went well and the patient was transferred to the oncology department and underwent a chemotherapy regimen consisting of paclitaxel and nedaplatin for further treatment. After 6 courses of chemotherapy. For a year after treatment, the patient had lived progression-free. Unfortunately, she died of tumor progression in July 2022. Conclusion: Although renal metastasis from vulvar SCC is rare, renal metastasis should be considered for the patient with a history of vulvar cancer, whenever a mass is identified in the kidney. Timely surgical removal of renal metastasis may prolong the survival time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Liposarcoma of the vulva is extremely rare, it represents a diagnostic challenge for the gynecologist as well as the pathologist, there are few cases reported in the literature. We present a case of pleomorphic liposarcoma of the vulva, the first reported at the National Oncological Institute in Panama. Case report: This is a 52-year-old woman with a one-year history of a tumor on the right labia majora of the vulva, with accelerated growth in recent months associated with ulceration. The biopsy reported high-grade malignant mesenchymal neoplasia. She was taken After surgery, hemivulvectomy and flap reconstruction, the resection margins were negative. Postoperative evolution without adverse events. Conclusions: Pleomorphic liposarcoma of the vulva is an extremely rare entity; biopsy of the vulvar tumor is crucial for planning surgery, the treatment of choice in most cases. Adjuvant treatment is individualized and follow-up could be close. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Vulvar cancer has an overall low incidence, accounting for approximately 3–5% of all gynecological malignancies.Case: We present a case of locally recurrent Stage IIIA squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva in a 51-year-old healthy African American female. She was initially treated with primary chemoradiation with cisplatin sensitization and boost to primary tumor up to 70 Gray. Post-treatment biopsies revealed complete pathologic response. She later presented with local recurrence to the primary site of the clitoris and vulva, with no evidence of metastasis on imaging, with progressive disease despite treatment with immunotherapy. Methods: Biopsy-proven disease progression was present on the clitoris, entire left labia minora, and a portion of the right labia minora with no evidence of metastasis on imaging. Surgical resection for localized recurrence was recommended, and she underwent radical anterior vulvectomy, distal urethrectomy, and vulvar reconstruction with bilateral Singapore fasciocutaneous flap as part of a multidisciplinary team. Patient underwent several prophylactic hyperbaric oxygen treatments. There were no issues with postoperative wound healing. Conclusion: Treatment with radical excision often requires multidisciplinary teams for complex reconstructions to restore vulvar anatomy in the setting of prior radiation, especially for those patients desiring the ability to have penetrative intercourse in the future. There are few surgical videos that describe these types of vulvar excisions and subsequent reconstructions. This video provides a unique approach to vulvar reconstruction in a previously irradiated field.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of modern approaches to the treatment of patients with various types of vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia. Materials and methods. A prospective study of the results of VIN treatment in 262 women aged 25 to 70 years (mean age 51.12±13.41 years) was conducted. Treatment was provided to 155 women with HPV-independent vulvar dysplasia (dVIN), 98 women with severe HPV-independent vulvar dysplasia (VHSIL), and 9 women with grade Ia vulvar Paget's disease. Depending on the type and features of the disease, clinical and morphological characteristics, size, location, age and anamnesis, a particular treatment method was chosen, namely: excision, photodynamic therapy (PDT) with chlorine E6; PDT with 5-aminolevulinic acid; 5% imiquimod cream; vulvectomy (partial/complete). In some cases, a combination of methods was used: excision and 5% imiquimod cream; excision with PDT with 5-aminolevulinic acid. Results. Cream with 5% imiquimod was used in our study mainly in women with VHSIL and showed quite high efficacy in the treatment process. After 3 months, partial regression was registered in 93.75% of cases, after six months, complete regression occurred in 71.87% of patients, and after a year - in 81.25% of women. Morphologically, after 3 months, the recurrence of the disease was registered only in 31.25% of patients, while over time a complete coincidence of clinical and morphological indicators was registered. Combined therapy with imiquimod showed high efficacy both clinically and morphologically with complete regression of the disease (100%) and absence of relapses during the year of follow-up in all patients to whom this approach was used. Treatment with the systemic use of PDT with chlorin E6 showed a complete regression of the pathological focus clinically and morphologically in 96.65% of women after 3 months. The same indicators remained after 6 months, but after a year, the percentage of women with partial regression with morphologically confirmed recurrence slightly increased to 15.08%. Conclusions. Modern methods of conservative treatment of vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia using imiquimod cream and systemic photodynamic therapy can be a highly effective alternative to surgical intervention.

Background/Aim: Data regarding the clinicopathological factors predicting recurrence and prognosis in patients with vulvar extramammary Paget disease (VPD) are limited. Therefore, we aimed to identify predictive factors for recurrence and outcomes in patients with VPD. Patients and Methods: Forty-five patients with VPD were included in this study. We reviewed electronic medical records and pathology slides to collect clinicopathological information. Results: Eighteen cases (40.0%) had resection margin (RM) involvement. Twelve patients (26.7%) received adjuvant radiation therapy (RT). Ten patients (22.2%) experienced recurrence. The recurrence rate was higher in patients who underwent wide local excision or simple vulvectomy than in those who underwent radical vulvectomy. Positive RM involvement was a significant and independent predictive factor for worse recurrence-free survival (RFS). The overall survival rate of patients who received adjuvant RT was significantly higher than that of those who underwent surgery alone. Conclusion: A positive RM involvement independently predicted worse RFS. The recurrence rate was significantly associated with the type of surgical procedure performed. Additionally, adjuvant RT can improve the prognosis of patients with VPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: Surgical-oncological treatment methods are continuously put to the test in times of evidence-based medicine—notably, a constant reevaluation remains key, especially for tumor entities with increasing incidence such as vulvar carcinoma. (2) Methods: In order to determine the postoperative clinical course of different methods of vulvar excision (vulvectomy, hemivulvectomy) as well as inguinal lymph node removal (lymphadenectomy, sentinel lymph node biopsy) with regard to postoperative wound-healingprocess, perioperative hemorrhage, and re-resection rates, we retrospectively analyzed surgical, morphological and laboratory data of 76 patients with a pathological diagnosed vulvar cancer. (3) Results: Analysis of our data from a single center revealed a comparable perioperative clinical course regardless of the chosen method of vulvar excision and inguinal lymph node removal. (4) Conclusions: Thus, our results emphasize the current multimodality in surgical therapy of vulvar carcinoma, in which consideration of known prognostic factors together with the individual patient's clinical situation allow guideline-based therapy aimed at maximizing surgical safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Failure-to-rescue, defined as mortality following a perioperative complication, is a perioperative quality indicator studied in various surgeries, but not in vulvar cancer surgery. The objective of this study was to assess failure-to-rescue in patients undergoing surgical therapy for vulvar cancer. This cross-section study queried the National Inpatient Sample. The study population was 31,077 patients who had surgical therapy for vulvar cancer from 1/2001–9/2015. The main outcomes were (i) perioperative morbidity (29 indicators) and (ii) mortality following a perioperative complication during the index admission for vulvar surgery (failure-to-rescue), assessed with a multivariable binary logistic regression model. The cohort-level median age was 69 years, and 14,337 (46.1%) had medical comorbidity. Perioperative complications were reported in 4736 (15.2%) patients during the hospital admission for vulvar surgery. In multivariable analysis, patient factors including older age, medical comorbidity, and morbid obesity, and treatment factors with prior radiotherapy and radical vulvectomy were associated with perioperative complications (P < 0.05). The number of patients with morbid obesity, higher comorbidity index, and prior radiotherapy increased over time (P-trends < 0.001). Among 4736 patients who developed perioperative complications, 55 patients died during the hospital admission for vulvar surgery (failure-to-rescue rate, 1.2%). In multivariable analysis, cardiac arrest (adjusted-odds ratio [aOR] 27.25), sepsis or systemic inflammatory response syndrome (aOR 11.54), pneumonia (aOR 6.03), shock (aOR 4.37), and respiratory failure (aOR 3.10) were associated with failure-to-rescue (high-risk morbidities). There was an increasing trend of high-risk morbidities from 2.0% to 3.7% over time, but the failure-to-rescue from high-risk morbidities decreased from 9.1% to 2.8% (P-trend < 0.05). Vulvar cancer patients undergoing surgical treatment had increased comorbidity over time with an increase in high-risk complications. However, failure-to-rescue rate has decreased significantly. • Failure-to-rescue (FTR) following surgical morbidity in vulvar cancer surgery has not been previously examined. • Vulvar cancer patients undergoing surgical treatment had increased comorbidity over time. • Cardiac arrest, sepsis, pneumonia, shock, and respiratory failure were associated with increased risks of FTR. • Overall FTR rate following these high-risk morbidity indicators was 5.7%. • The incidence of these high-risk morbidities increased over time, but FTR rate has decreased significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vulvar cancers are usually diagnosed at an advanced stage and require wide surgical resections in the form of vulvectomy. Immediate vulvar reconstruction can potentially reduce the reoperation rate and postoperative complications. With this objective, we introduced a protocol for immediate vulvar reconstruction. This study, five years after its introduction, assesses the impact of this intervention on the postoperative evolution of vulvectomy patients. In January 2017 we introduced a protocol for immediate vulvar reconstruction that considered four criteria of high risk for postoperative dehiscence. Patients who meet the criteria were reconstructed at the time of the vulvectomy. To assess the impact of the protocol, we prospectively registered all included patients over a 5 years period (2017-2022). As a control group, we reviewed the vulvectomised patients at our centre from January 2012 to January 2017 (5 years) who would have met the protocol. No statistically significant differences were found in the epidemiological data (age, diabetes mellitus diagnosis, and obesity diagnosis) or in the tumour characteristics (tumour size). We obtained a statistically significant difference in the incidence of complications and need for reintervention, in favour of the reconstruction group. Our study shows the medical and economic benefits for vulvar cancer patients of immediate vulvar reconstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a clinical case of perineal defect reconstruction using a VRAM flap in a patient with vulvar cancer. Stepwise surgical treatment method is described. A multidisciplinary meeting allows to realize a plan of surgical help for such patients with the goal of treating oncological process and its complications.We have proposed a variant of perineal defect reconstruction through transfer of a vertical rectus abdominis musculocutaneous flap with a vascular pedicle.

Introduction Extramammary Paget's disease is an eczematous skin condition that affects the vulva and perineum. Extramammary Paget's disease secondary to urothelial carcinoma is a rare condition that is typically treated with invasive surgical resection of the lesion. Case presentation An 80‐year‐old woman with a 7‐year history of urothelial carcinoma presented with erythema of the labia majora. Immunostaining of skin biopsy specimens suggested extramammary Paget's disease secondary to urothelial carcinoma. The patient did not consent to resection of the lesion. Nine cycles of first‐line platinum‐based chemotherapy for metastatic urothelial carcinoma were administered. As tumor cells remained after systemic chemotherapy, pembrolizumab will be administered to the patient for treating residual extramammary Paget's disease. Conclusion Platinum‐based chemotherapy can control extramammary Paget's disease secondary to urothelial carcinoma.

Objective: Vulvar extramammary Paget's disease (EMPD) is a rare intraepithelial adenocarcinoma of the vulvar skin. This study evaluated the clinical characteristics, treatment modalities, and oncologic outcomes in patients with vulvar EMPD. Materials and Methods: Cases of patients who were treated for vulvar EMPD between 1994 and 2022 were identified. Patient demographics, associated malignancies, treatments, histopathologic features, need for re-operations, and long-term outcomes were documented. Results: The study involved 10 patients with vulvar noninvasive EMPD, with a median age of 57 (31–86) years. None of the patients had prior malignancies. The index operations performed were wide local excision with reconstructive surgery (5 patients) and vulvectomy with reconstructive surgery (3 patients). Seven patients were positive for margin involvement. Five patients developed recurrences. The mean time of the first recurrence was 32.6 (4–88) months. All recurrences were treated with reoperations. Only 1 associated malignancy was found: cervical cancer. There was no disease progression in any of the patients who were followed; of the 10 patients, 2 were lost to follow-up. Conclusions: EMPD is characterized by a high tendency to recur after surgical resection. Surgical management can be a challenge due to the high rate of residual tumors in the surgical margins. (J GYNECOL SURG 39:66) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigate the utilization and outcomes of lymphadenectomy/ sampling (LND) for patients with vulvar melanoma. Patients diagnosed between 2004–2015 with vulvar melanoma with known depth of tumor invasion and no distant metastases were identified in the National Cancer Database. Based on pathology report patients who underwent inguinal lymph node sampling/dissection were identified. Clinico-pathological characteristics and overall survival were compared between the two groups. A total of 1286 patients were identified; 62.8 % (n = 808) underwent lymphadenectomy/ sampling. Patients who underwent lymphadenectomy/ sampling were younger (median 66 vs 76 years, p < 0.001), more likely to have private insurance (42.9 % vs 27.8 %, p < 0.001), present with tumor ulceration (65.9 % vs 58.6 %, p = 0.01), have deeper tumor invasion (p < 0.001) and undergo radical vulvectomy (26.4 % vs 12.1 %, p < 0.001). Patients who underwent lymphadenectomy/ sampling had better overall survival compared to those who did not (median 49.08 vs 35.91 months respectively, p < 0.001). After controlling for patient age, race, insurance status, comorbidities, presence of tumor ulceration and Breslow depth of invasion performance of lymphadenectomy/ sampling was associated with better survival (hazard ratio: 0.78, 95 % confidence intervals: 0.67, 0.92). For patients with vulvar melanoma with at least 1 mm invasion lymphadenectomy/ sampling was associated with better overall survival likely secondary to stage migration. • Patients with VM undergoing LND had better OS compared to those without LND • No difference was detected in the OS for depths of invasion of ≤ 1 mm • The OS was significantly longer in patients with LND after adjusting for risk factor [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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(1) Background: Surgical-oncological treatment methods are continuously put to the test in times of evidence-based medicine—notably, a constant reevaluation remains key, especially for tumor entities with increasing incidence such as vulvar carcinoma. (2) Methods: In order to determine the postoperative clinical course of different methods of vulvar excision (vulvectomy, hemivulvectomy) as well as inguinal lymph node removal (lymphadenectomy, sentinel lymph node biopsy) with regard to postoperative wound-healingprocess, perioperative hemorrhage, and re-resection rates, we retrospectively analyzed surgical, morphological and laboratory data of 76 patients with a pathological diagnosed vulvar cancer. (3) Results: Analysis of our data from a single center revealed a comparable perioperative clinical course regardless of the chosen method of vulvar excision and inguinal lymph node removal. (4) Conclusions: Thus, our results emphasize the current multimodality in surgical therapy of vulvar carcinoma, in which consideration of known prognostic factors together with the individual patient’s clinical situation allow guideline-based therapy aimed at maximizing surgical safety.

Objective: Vulvar cancer is a rare gynecological cancer that mainly affects postmenopausal women. The aim of this review is to analyze the most recent data available in the literature on the clinical and therapeutic approach to vulvar carcinoma. Mechanism: Studies available in the literature on the therapeutic management of patients with vulvar carcinoma until November 2022 have been screened. A comprehensive search was performed in the PubMed (MEDLINE), EMBASE, SCOPUS and Web of Science databases. Findings in Brief: The approach to vulvar carcinoma has deeply evolved over the years. The management of early-stage vulvar carcinomas is well established and widely shared, while that of advanced and recurrent cancers is a subject of debate. The assessment of the nodal status has changed from the past with the passage from inguinal lymphadenectomy to the removal of only the sentinel node. Conclusions: The gold standard for the management of vulvar cancer is surgery, applicable in the first instance in early-stage tumors and after neoadjuvant therapy for larger tumors. Assessment of the nodal state is crucial and the method to be used depends on the degree of suspicious of positive lymph nodes. The prognosis is good if the treatment is applicable as soon as possible.

Introduction: Paget disease is a rare neoplasm of the skin that mainly involves the vulvar region. Vulvar Paget's disease (VPD) can spread beyond the apparent edges of the lesion resulting in a high risk of involved surgical margins. Our aim is to verify the efficacy of a preoperative vulvo-vaginal intensive clock mapping in the prediction of the invasiveness and the extension of VPD. Materials and methods: All consecutive patients with primary VPD referred to our institution from July 2005 to December 2018 were subjected to a preoperative intensive biopsy mapping (clock mapping) of the vulvo-vaginal area: inside and outside the vulvar skin visible lesion, according to o'clock positions, and in the vagina. Patients with positive biopsies "only inside" or "also beyond" the visible lesion were included, respectively, in Group A and B. Surgical excision was drawn passing by the points with negative histology. Pathological findings of mapping biopsies were compared with those from radical surgery. Results: A total of 28 women were enrolled. After clock mapping definitive histology: 17 (60.7%) and 11 (39.3%) patients were included in Group A and B. Definitive histology showed non-invasive, micro-invasive and invasive VPD, respectively, in 13 (46.4%), 11 (39.3%) and 4 (14.3%) patients, with 4 patients further upstaged. Overall, negative margins were found in 14 (50%) patients: 9 (32.1%) from Group A and 5 (17.9%) from Group B. In 23 cases (82.1%), clock mapping identified free surgical margins along the vulvo-perineal skin excision front. Conclusions: Preoperative clock mapping emerged as potentially useful workup tool to predict invasiveness and extension of VPD, to tailor surgical excision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Although most defects can close by primary suturing after radical surgery of gynecological malignancies, different reconstruction options are available when large defects that require reconstruction occur. In this study, we present the treatment strategy and results for patients who underwent reconstruction after resection for gynecological cancer in the vulva and perineum. Material and Methods: A total of 18 patients who underwent reconstruction between May 2018 and July 2020 were included in this retrospective study. Demographics and clinical data, the resection operation, characteristics of the defect, and the reconstruction methods applied were evaluated. Postoperative treatment strategy and complication rates were evaluated. Results: The mean age was 62.3±13.2 (42-83) years. 88.9% of the patients had additional diseases. Pelvic exentration was performed in 5 (27.8%) patients, anterior resection in 2 (11.1%) patients and vulvectomy in 11 (61.1%) patients. The most common malignancy was squamous cell carcinoma, and mean defect size was 106±97 (12-476) cm2. Reconstruction was performed with a local fasciocutaneous flap in 16 (88.9%) patients, pedicled rectus myocutaneous flap in one (5.6%) patient, and skin graft in one (5.6%) patient. Wound complications occurred in 5 (27.8%) patients, partial flap necrosis in one (5.6%) patient, and recurrence in one (5.6%) patient in the long term. Conclusion: It is possible to reconstruction most of the vulva and perineal defects with local flaps after oncological resections, Considering the characteristics of the area and patient comorbidities, it should be kept in mind that prolonged wound problems may be seen, especially in vulvectomy patients.

The article considers the possibility of surgical treatment of a patient with giant Buschke–Löwenstein condyloma and the possibility of a reconstructive plastic component. The positive aspects of the surgical technique with a reconstructive plastic component are presented. The question of closing a wound defect after extensive vulva resections and performing plastic techniques has always caused ambiguous disputes among various authors, and has led to the complication of the plastic component, as well as a decrease in indications or refusal of this type of operation.

Simple Summary: When it comes to advanced vulval cancer management, there is a critical quandary to consider. This is owing to the severe negative impact of demolitive surgery on women who are afflicted by both functional and psychological consequences of the procedure. Primary closure of vulvar and/or perineal defects can be accomplished without difficulty in many situations, but this is accompanied by tension of the skin closure and distortion of the anatomy. In these circumstances, reconstructive surgery will be required to restore the anatomical and functional characteristics of the vulva. In this paper, we share our substantial expertise of primary closure versus reconstruction after demolitive surgery of advanced vulvar cancer, and we discuss our findings in light of the literature. (1) Background: plastic reconstruction in vulvar surgery can lead to a better treatment outcome than primary closure. This study aims to compare the preoperative parameters (co-morbidities and tumor size) and postoperative results (tumor free margins and wound healing) between the primary closure and reconstructive surgery after vulvar cancer surgery; (2) Methods: this is a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from 2009 to 2021 at a tertiary cancer institution; (3) Results: 177 patients were included in the final analysis (51 patients had primary closure PC and 126 had reconstructive surgery RS). About half (49%) of the PC patients had no co-morbidities (p = 0.043). The RS group had a 45 mm median maximal tumor diameter compared to the PC group's 23 mm (p = 0.013). More than 90% of RS and 80% of PC had tumor-free margins (p = 0.1). Both groups had anterior vulvar excision as the most common surgery (52.4% RS vs. 23.5% PC; p = 0.001). Both groups had identical rates of wound healing disorders. In a median follow-up of 39 months; recurrent disease was found in 23.5% of PC vs. 10.3% in RS (p = 0.012). In terms of overall survival there was no significant difference between the both groups; (4) Conclusions: reconstructive vulvar surgery enables enhanced complete resection rates of larger vulvar tumors with better anatomical restoration and a comparable wound recovery in comparison to primary closure. This results in a lower recurrence rate despite the increased tumor volume. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to present surgical procedures, results and complications of treatment of verrucous carcinoma (VC) of the vulva treated at the clinics for gynecology and obstetrics within the Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad (Serbia), as well as a literature review of surgical treatment of VC. During a period of 15 years (2005–2019), we performed 76 surgeries of vulvar cancer, nine (11.8%) due to VC of the vulva. In surgical treatment of vulva VC, we performed complete surgical excision of the tumor (three), complete surgical excision of the tumor with defect coverage using VY fasciocutaneous skin flap (two), simplex vulvectomy (two), radical hemivulvectomy (one), and radical vulvectomy (one). We came across two main complications (22.2%): suture bleeding within 12 hours after excision in one patient (11.1%) and lower extremity lymphoedema after inguinofemoral lymphadenectomy with ligation of the great saphenous vein in one patient (11.1%). Out of the total number of nine treated patients, survival rate was 88.8% (eight patients) with death rate of 11.1% (one patient) within 12 months after surgery. In three patients (33.3%), the disease returned after surgery: one residual tumor after surgery, one relapse on the other side one year after surgery, one newly developed invasive squamous cell carcinoma 10 years after primary surgery.

Lymphangioma circumscriptum is a rare benign disorder of lymphatic channels in deep dermal and subcutaneous layers. It can occur either as a congenital abnormality or as acquired damage to previously normal lymphatic channels. It occurs in different parts of the body, and the vulva is one of the parts which is commonly affected. Here, we presented a 39 years old para 2 who presented with vulvar swelling. She was diagnosed with acquired lymphangioma circumscriptum of the vulva and superficial vulvectomy was done. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the possibility of radical surgical treatment of vulvar cancer depending on the presence of concomitant diseases. It covers positive and negative aspects of various surgical techniques with a reconstructive component. The issue of closing the wound defect after vulvectomy and performing reconstructive surgery has always been controversial; it reduced the number of indications for such surgeries and often caused refusal from it.

Objective: Vulvar cancer is a rare pathology affecting mainly elderly women. This study aims to evaluate the impact of age on tumor size in vulvar cancer., Material and Methods: This was a multicenter retrospective observational study carried out between January 1, 1998, and December 31, 2020, in patients operated on for vulvar cancer. Univariate analysis was performed according to patients' age ≥ or <65 years. Factors associated with tumor size found to be significant according to age were then included in a multiple linear regression model., Results: Of the 382 patients included, there were 133 patients aged <65 years and 249 ≥ 65 years. Radical total vulvectomy surgeries were more frequently performed in women ≥65 years (n = 72 (28.9 %) versus n = 20 (15 %); p = 0.004). The median histological tumor size and interquartile range was 20 mm [13-29] in the <65 years and 30 mm [15-42] in patients ≥65 years (p = 0.001). Multiple linear regression showed that age ≥65 years had a regression coefficient of 7.15 95 % CI [2.32; 11.99] (p = 0.004), constituting a risk factor for larger histological tumour size. Patients aged ≥65 years old had a higher early complication rate (n = 150 (62 %) versus n = 56 (42.7 %), p = 0.001). They also had a greater risk of recurrence (HR = 1.89 (95%CI (1.24-2.89)), p = 0.003) with a worse overall survival (HR = 5.64 (95%CI (1.70-18.68)), p = 0.005)., Conclusion: Age is a risk factor for larger tumor size, leading to more radical surgery and a greater risk of complications in already fragile patients, with a greater risk of recurrence and an impact on overall survival., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd, BASO ~ The Association for Cancer Surgery, and the European Society of Surgical Oncology. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: External beam radiation with sensitizing platinum is the recommended therapy for locally advanced vulvar cancers not amenable to curative surgery and is associated with considerable acute and chronic side effects. Radical vulvectomy post-radiation for persistent disease is often compromised with poor wound healing. We describe clinical outcomes for patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus bevacizumab followed by radical vulvectomy for locally advanced vulvar cancer., Methods: We performed retrospective analyses of all patients at our institution who underwent radical vulvectomy from January 2015 to November 2023. Of 113 patients, 13 patients underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Demographics and clinicopathologic data were extracted, and descriptive statistical analyses were performed. Cases with neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus bevacizumab were further evaluated for response, adverse effects, and survival., Results: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy was administered to 13 patients with stage II-IV disease that involved the urethra, vagina, or anus. Lesion sizes ranged from 4 to 20 cm (median 7 cm). Patients received 2-6 cycles of carboplatin or cisplatin, paclitaxel, and bevacizumab. Nine (69.2%) patients had partial pathologic responses, and four patients had complete responses. All patients had negative surgical margins. Ten (76.9%) patients had radiographic evidence of inguinal lymph node metastasis prior to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and four had residual nodal disease. Only one patient developed a superficial groin seroma. Three patients developed recurrence, two locally and one distant, and there was one death. The median follow-up was 23 months (range 6-84 months)., Conclusions: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy using combination platinum/paclitaxel/bevacizumab was efficacious for locally advanced vulvar cancer, resulting in complete resections, negative margins, and excellent wound healing. A multi-institutional phase II trial is warranted to validate these findings., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© IGCS and ESGO 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Vulvar cancer is rare. The vulva constitutes the external female genitalia and it is associated with the perineum with the intersection of urinary, sexual and anal systems. The deep anatomy of the perineum in the urogenital and anogenital triangle should be well-known to gynecological oncologists. Radical vulvectomy is the surgical treatment of choice in gross tumors expanding over the vulvar skin. After this type of excision, reconstruction is critically important because it is not always feasible to suture the vulvar defect in a primary manner. Thus, the reconstruction options should also be known to gynecological oncologists. Here, we present a video of radical vulvar cancer surgery, which was performed on a cadaver with gluteal and medial thigh V-Y advancement flap reconstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: It is uncertain whether curative surgical treatment or a less radical surgery with adjuvant treatment should be provided to preserve function in patients with vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) that is adjacent to the urethra, anus, and vagina. The aim of this study was to investigate the surgical margin in patients with vulvar SCC with regard to local recurrence and overall survival. Methods: Thirty‐four patients were identified as having a diagnosis of vulvar SCC without distant metastasis. They had been treated surgically with curative intent at the Cancer Institute Hospital. Clinical data were analyzed retrospectively. Results: Rates of 5‐year local recurrence‐free survival among patients with positive, <3‐mm, <5‐mm, <8‐mm, and ≥8‐mm surgical margins were 32%, 30.3%, 42.5%, 55.5%, and 73%, respectively. Rates of 5‐year overall survival of patients with positive, <3‐mm, <5‐mm, <8‐mm, and ≥8‐mm surgical margins were 15.5%, 53.8%, 58.8%, 67.6%, and 83.3%, respectively. In the multivariable analysis, a tumor size of more than 2‐cm (hazard ratio [HR] = 17.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.39–226) and a positive surgical margin (HR = 0.0092, 95% CI = 0.011–0.53) were risk factors for local recurrence, and a lymph node involvement (HR = 1.41, 95% CI = 0.31–6.43) and a positive surgical margin (HR = 0.0046, 95% CI = 0.011–0.53) were significant risk factors for overall mortality. Conclusions: To improve the prognosis, thorough resection with an adequate surgical margin is needed. But narrow surgical margin may be acceptable, particularly to preserve the function of adjacent organs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and hypothesis: High-quality data are lacking to understand outcomes in women who undergo labiaplasty for labial hypertrophy and whether there is an association with body dismorphic disorder (BDD). Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of a retrospective cohort of women who underwent labiaplasty for labial hypertrophy at a tertiary care referral center. Women were identified by CPT codes and were included if the procedure was performed by a urogynecologist. The health record was queried for demographic, pre-, intra-, and postoperative data. For the cross-sectional component of the study, participants were contacted to complete a survey. Results: Thirty-six women met study inclusion criteria; 21 participated in the survey, and retrospective data were available for 20. At the time of labiaplasty, the women had a mean age of 30 ± 12 years and mean BMI of 23.9 ± 4.4 kg/m2. The most common preoperative motivation for undergoing labiaplasty, based on the medical record, was pain (85.0% 17/20). Complications were uncommon and minor. No women met criteria for BDD. Participant survey-reported primary motivation for undergoing partial simple vulvectomy was "pinching" in 10 (47.6%), "pain" in 4 (19.0%), and "appearance" in 7 (33.3%). The majority of women reported that labiaplasty achieved their preoperative goal (20/21, 95.2%). Conclusions: Women who underwent labiaplasty were primarily motivated by functional concerns, and outcomes indicate a high satisfaction with genital appearance postoperatively as well as a positive effect on body image and quality of life. We recommend that surgeons work to understand what motivates women to pursue surgical intervention by asking about cosmetic concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Although most defects can close by primary suturing after radical surgery of gynecological malignancies, different reconstruction options are available when large defects that require reconstruction occur. In this study, we present the treatment strategy and results for patients who underwent reconstruction after resection for gynecological cancer in the vulva and perineum. Material and Methods: A total of 18 patients who underwent reconstruction between May 2018 and July 2020 were included in this retrospective study. Demographics and clinical data, the resection operation, characteristics of the defect, and the reconstruction methods applied were evaluated. Postoperative treatment strategy and complication rates were evaluated. Results: The mean age was 62.3±13.2 (42-83) years. 88.9% of the patients had additional diseases. Pelvic exentration was performed in 5 (27.8%) patients, anterior resection in 2 (11.1%) patients and vulvectomy in 11 (61.1%) patients. The most common malignancy was squamous cell carcinoma, and mean defect size was 106±97 (12-476) cm2. Reconstruction was performed with a local fasciocutaneous flap in 16 (88.9%) patients, pedicled rectus myocutaneous flap in one (5.6%) patient, and skin graft in one (5.6%) patient. Wound complications occurred in 5 (27.8%) patients, partial flap necrosis in one (5.6%) patient, and recurrence in one (5.6%) patient in the long term. Conclusion: It is possible to reconstruction most of the vulva and perineal defects with local flaps after oncological resections, Considering the characteristics of the area and patient comorbidities, it should be kept in mind that prolonged wound problems may be seen, especially in vulvectomy patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amaç: Vulva kanserli hastalarda tedavi sonuçları ve prognostik faktörlerin irdelenmesi. Gereç ve Yöntem: Jinekolojik onkoloji ve radyasyon onkolojisi kliniklerinde 1990-2022 yılları arasında tedavi edilmiş 107 hasta retrospektif olarak değerlendirilmiştir. Serimizde medyan yaş 67'dir (25 ile 90 yaş). Labium majus en sık lokalizasyondur (%52,3). Tüm hastalar FIGO 2021'e göre yeniden evrelenmiştir. Evrelere göre hasta dağılımı; sırasıyla 60, 0, 37 ve 4 olarak bulunmuştur. Prognostik faktör olarak; tümör çapı, yaş, evre, histolojik grade, cerrahi sınır ve lenf nodu durumu seçilmiştir. Sağ kalım analizleri Kaplan-Meier testi ile, prognostik faktörler ise tek ve çok değişkenli analizler ile değerlendirilmiştir. Akut ve geç toksisite, CTCAE skorlama sistemine göre derecelendirilmiştir. Bulgular: Cerrahi %91 oranında ilk tedavi seçeneğidir, %9 olguda ise sadece tanı amaçlı biopsi yapılmıştır. Medyan tümör boyutu 3.8cm, medyan invazyon derinliği 7mm olup %35,5 olguda lenfovasküler alan invazyonu (LVI) mevcuttur. Histolojik grade olguların %64,5'da 2 olarak saptanmıştır. Cerrahi sınır pozitifliği ise %12'dir. Diseke edilen lenf nodu sayısı medyan 12 olup pozitiflik oranı ise %37,4'dür. 49 olguya radyoterapi endikasyonu konulmuştur. Adjuvan RT 34 olguya, kurtarma ise 10 olguya yapılmışıtır. Beş olguya ise sadece küratif amaçlı RT yapılmıştır. Medyan takip süresi 61 aydır. Serimizde 5 yıl için lokal kontrol (LK), hastalıksız sağ kalım (HSK) ve genel sağ kalım (GSK) oranları sırası ile; %57,5, %71 ve %66,5 olarak bulunmuştur. İzole lokal nüks 27 olguda gelişmiştir. Bu olguların 21'ine kurtarma cerrahisi, 14 olguya yalnız KT ve 10'una ise sadece RT yapılmıştır. Lokal yinelemeler için anlamlı olan prognostik faktörler tümör çapının >2cm, yaşın =70 olması, evre3-4 hastalık varlığı, grade 2-3 hastalık, cerrahi sınırın (CS) =8 mm olması ve lenf nodu pozitifliği olarak bulunmuştur. GSK'a etki eden prognostik faktörlerin univariate analizinde ise lenfovasküler invazyon varlığı, grade 2-3 hastalık, cerrahi sınırın 8 mm'den yakın olması, 3 veya daha fazla lenf nodu pozitifliği ve evre 3-4 hastalık olarak tespit edilmiştir. Cox Regresyon analizinde ise evre 3 ve üzeri hastalıkta mortalitenin 5 kat, CS'ın <8mm olması durumunda mortalitenin 3 kat, LVI varlığında mortalitenin 2,3 kat ve =70 yaşında mortalitenin 2 kat arttırdığı gösterilmiştir. Nüks sonrası opere olan hastalarda GSK anlamlı olarak daha iyi iken (p<0,001); nüks sonrası RT uygulamanın sağkalıma faydası olmadığı, nüks sonrası KT uygulanan hastalarda ise KT ile GSK'ın daha da kötü olduğu görülmüştür. Radyoterapi grubunda en sık akut yan etki cilt reaksiyonudur. Grade 3 ve üzerinde yan etki %9,3'ünde gelişmiştir. Grade 2 ve üzeri GİS ve GÜS toksisite oranları sırasıyla %7 ve %6.5'dur. Sonuç: Günümüzde, vulva kanseri tedavisinde farklı tedavi modalitelerine rağmen sağkalım sonuçları hala istenilen seviyeye ulaşmamıştır. Primer tedavi modalitesi seçiminde hastanın klinik ve histopatolojik özellikleri göz önünde bulundurularak karar verilmelidir. Prognostik faktörlerin analizine göre adjuvan tedaviler belirlenmelidir. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vulvar reconstruction can be performed following radical vulvectomy and is known to be associated with urologic complications. We describe the use of antegrade cystoscopy to manage acute urinary retention secondary to an obliterated urethral meatus following radical vulvectomy and reconstruction for radiation dermatitis. Antegrade cystoscopy was performed by applying the surgical concepts for suprapubic catheterization and general laparoscopy. Antegrade cystoscopy is a simple and safe approach for female patients with distorted pelvic anatomy from radical surgery and reconstructions for vulvar cancer.

Background/Aim: The aims of the study were: i) to assess the incidence of perineural invasion (PNI) in squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva and ii) to correlate PNI with common pathological prognostic variables and clinical outcome of patients. Patients and Methods: The hospital records of 64 patients with vulvar squamous cell carcinoma who underwent primary radical surgery were reviewed. Results: PNI was significantly related to stage (p=0.038), size (p=0.038), lymph-vascular space involvement (p=0.013) and nodal status (p=0.038), but not to patient age, tumor grade and stromal invasion. Five-year disease-free survival was 30.0% in patients with PNI and 53.1% in those without PNI (p=0.018), and the corresponding 5-year overall survival was 50.0% and 77.1% (p=0.031), respectively. Conclusion: PNI was associated with common pathological prognostic variables and with a poorer clinical outcome in patients with vulvar squamous cell carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Vulvar cancer has an overall low incidence, accounting for approximately 3-5% of all gynecological malignancies.Case: We present a case of locally recurrent Stage IIIA squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva in a 51-year-old healthy African American female. She was initially treated with primary chemoradiation with cisplatin sensitization and boost to primary tumor up to 70 Gray. Post-treatment biopsies revealed complete pathologic response. She later presented with local recurrence to the primary site of the clitoris and vulva, with no evidence of metastasis on imaging, with progressive disease despite treatment with immunotherapy., Methods: Biopsy-proven disease progression was present on the clitoris, entire left labia minora, and a portion of the right labia minora with no evidence of metastasis on imaging. Surgical resection for localized recurrence was recommended, and she underwent radical anterior vulvectomy, distal urethrectomy, and vulvar reconstruction with bilateral Singapore fasciocutaneous flap as part of a multidisciplinary team. Patient underwent several prophylactic hyperbaric oxygen treatments. There were no issues with postoperative wound healing., Conclusion: Treatment with radical excision often requires multidisciplinary teams for complex reconstructions to restore vulvar anatomy in the setting of prior radiation, especially for those patients desiring the ability to have penetrative intercourse in the future. There are few surgical videos that describe these types of vulvar excisions and subsequent reconstructions. This video provides a unique approach to vulvar reconstruction in a previously irradiated field.

Organ-sparing surgeries for vulvar cancer (VC) include wide excision of perineal tissues or hemivulvectomy. The advances in the treatment of VC reduce the risk of complications in patients with somatic pathology and preserve reproductive function in young patients with minimal risk of disease recurrence. The development of new approaches to VC therapy based on currently accepted clinical and morphological criteria will help to improve treatment outcomes. Materials and methods. We retrospectively analyzed the data on 252 patients with VC. Of them, 58 participants had stage I VC, 103 had stage II VC, 79 had stage III VC, and 12 had stage IV VC. The majority of patients (n = 152) underwent vulvectomy; 100 patients underwent extended vulvectomy. Results. Tumor size and depth of invasion are independent prognostic factors determining overall patient survival. The overall survival rate in patients with tumors of 1.5 cm or smaller was 91.7 %, whereas in patients with tumors >2 cm the overall survival rate was 62.2 %. Thefive-year survival rate was 53.9 % in individuals with tumor invasion >1 cm and 84.6 % in individuals with tumor invasion

Swarupa Mitra,1 Manoj Kumar Sharma,1 Inderjeet Kaur,1 Ruparna Khurana,1 Kanika Batra Modi,2 Raman Narang,1 Avik Mandal,1 Soumya Dutta1 1Department of Radiation Oncology, Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Center, New Delhi, India, 2Department of Genitourinary Surgical Oncology, Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Center, New Delhi, India Abstract: Vulvar carcinoma is a rare and aggressive gynecological malignancy. It affects elderly females, with the mean age at diagnosis being 55–60 years. Regional metastasis to inguinal lymph nodes is common. There is a high incidence of pelvic node involvement, especially in those with pathologically positive inguinal nodes. Surgery appears to be the only curative treatment option in the early stages of the disease. But in most patients, surgery is associated with considerable morbidities and psychosexual issues. Hence, in the quest for a less morbid form of treatment, multimodality approaches with various combinations of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy have been suggested for advanced vulvar cancers. Due to the low incidence of the disease, the level of evidence for the success of these treatment modalities is poor. In countries like India, a heterogeneous incidence of vulvar carcinoma exists across the country, with patients presenting at advanced stages when the option of surgery is often supplemented or replaced by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In this review, we attempt to study the available published literature and trials and discuss the treatment options in various stages of vulvar carcinoma. Keywords: vulva, vulvectomy, radiotherapy, WLE, chemoradiation, review, management

Aim: Vulvar carcinoma represents 3–5% of all female genital cancers; the main surgical treatment is radical vulvectomy and inguinal lymphadenectomy. The aim of this study is to analyze prognostic factors in the patients underwent to primary surgery for vulvar carcinoma. Methods: One hundred and eighteen cases of vulvar carcinoma underwent surgery between 2006 and 2016 at Operative Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics of Cannizzaro Hospital (Catania, Italy) were retrospective analyzed. Risk factors for relapse (age, tumor size, FIGO stage, type of surgery, lymphadenectomy, margins status, metastatic nodes and radiotherapy) were evaluated by logistic regression. Univariate analysis of prognostic factors (age, tumor size, FIGO stage, metastatic inguinal nodes and type of surgery) was obtained by Cox proportional hazard model. Overall survival was calculated by Kaplan–Meier curves either for the entire population and for comparison between positive and negative variables (margin status, nodes and radiotherapy) with log‐rank test to determine significance. Statistical significance was reached for P < 0.05. Results: Type of surgery (radical local excision vs. radical vulvectomy) and positive inguinal nodes were identified as risk factors for relapse. Positive inguinal nodes and positive margins were identified as prognostic factors either for overall survival and disease specific survival; tumor size greater than 4 cm was identified as prognostic factors for overall survival. Overall survival was 38.4% and it was significantly higher in the patients with negative margins and nodes. Conclusions: Nodes status, resection margins, age and type of surgery represent prognostic factors have to be considered for adjuvant treatment in the patients affected from vulvar carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A retrospective cohort study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of negative pressure wound therapy in improving vulvectomy healing. Women who underwent radical vulvectomy with complete inguinofemoral lymphadenectomy for advanced vulvar cancer were divided into two groups according to immediate postoperative care: patients treated with negative pressure wound therapy using the device applied on the site of the wound (including vulva and inguinal region), and patients receiving conventional care. 18 patients were included in the study. 7 (38.9%) women were treated with negative pressure wound therapy immediately after the surgery and were included in the intervention group, and 11 (61.1%) patients were included in the control group. Women who received negative pressure wound therapy had significantly lower length of stay in the hospital (14.2 ± 4.7 versus 17.1 ± 6.1 days, mean difference −6.90 days, 95% confidence interval −11.91 to −1.89), and significantly lower length for wound healing (−31.90 days, 95% confidence interval −43.48 to −20.32). In conclusion, the utilization of the negative wound pressure therapy may contribute to reduce hospitalization after radical vulvectomy for vulvar cancer. Large and well-designed randomized trials with cost effectiveness analyses are needed to confirm these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vulval cancer is a rare gynaecological cancer, predominantly seen in postmenopausal women. It accounts for about 4% of gynaecological malignancies. Most women present with vulval symptoms such as a painful lump, ulcer or itching, although some women may be asymptomatic. It is best managed in experienced cancer centres where relevant expertize and experience is available to provide multidisciplinary, individualized care for these women. The majority of vulval cancers are squamous cell cancers. Wide local excision of the lesion, usually with surgical staging of groin nodes, through separate incisions is recommended for early disease. Locally advanced vulval cancers require complex and highly individualized treatment, which may be a combination of radical excision with reconstruction with or without radiotherapy. Sentinel lymph node dissection is now becoming a standard of care instead of en-bloc inguino-femoral lymphadenectomy for surgical staging of smaller, early stage tumours. Radiotherapy is often required as adjuvant treatment following surgery, or for treatment of recurrent disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The extent of surgical treatment for vulvar lesions is predominantly guided by the histopathologic diagnosis rendered on the pre-operative biopsy. For premalignant lesions, local excisions are performed, whereas for vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC), more radical procedures are mandatory. However, even in the absence of a conclusive diagnosis of VSCC on biopsy, the surgeon may opt for a radical excision on grounds of strong clinical suspicion, with a view to avoiding repeat surgeries. We studied a retrospective, 10-year cohort of patients who underwent vulvar excisions, in the absence of a conclusive biopsy diagnosis of VSCC. We aimed to identify the factors predictive of VSCC in these patients, and assess their treatment.Study Design: All patients who underwent vulvar excision (2005-2016) at Erasmus MC, without a definitive diagnosis of VSCC on the preoperative biopsy were included. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the factors predictive of a final diagnosis of VSCC. Surgical treatment was categorized as definitive, incomplete, or over-treatment, based on histopathology of the excision specimen and previous surgical history.Results: In 57 % (64/113) of all included patients, the final diagnosis was VSCC. Higher patient age (p = 0.03), and suspicion of VSCC on pre-operative biopsy (p < 0.001) were associated with a final diagnosis of VSCC on univariate analysis. Suspicion of VSCC on biopsy was the only significant predictor (p < 0.001) on multivariable analysis. For patients with a suspicion of VSCC on biopsy, radical treatment was more frequently performed (p < 0.001), which resulted in over-treatment in only 1 case. Where the surgeon had performed a limited excision despite a suspicion of VSCC on biopsy, high patient age, co-morbidities, location of the tumor close to the anus, and history of previous vulvar surgeries were factors which influenced the decision. The treatment administered was definitive for 72 %., i.e. additional surgeries were not required; 25 % received incomplete treatment and needed additional surgeries, and 3% received over-treatment.Conclusion: Suspicion of VSCC on biopsy is strongly predictive of a final diagnosis of carcinoma. In our cohort, radical treatment performed on patients with clinical and histopathological suspicion of VSCC resulted in minimal over-treatment, and helped avoid second surgeries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the clinicopathological characteristics, management and prognosis of patients with vulvar extramammary Paget disease of the vulva (EMPD). The U.S National Cancer Database was accessed and patients diagnosed between 2004 and 2015 with microscopically confirmed vulvar EMPD were selected. Overall survival (OS) was calculated for patients diagnosed between 2004 and 2014, who had at least one month of follow-up. Five year OS rates were calculated following generation of Kaplan-Meier curves while comparisons were made with the log-rank test. A total of 2602 patients were identified. Median age at diagnosis was 72 years (range 31–90 years) and the majority were of White race (92%), without any co-morbidities (80.9%). Personal history of another tumor was present in 36.9% of patients. In situ EMPD was diagnosed in 994 cases (38.2%) and the majority (95.1%) were managed with local excision or vulvectomy. Five-year OS was 85.8%, while presence of positive margins was not associated with worse OS (p = 0.38). Invasive EMPD was diagnosed in 1608 (61.8%) patients. Staging information was available for 1172 patients, 75.3% had early stage disease. Most patients underwent surgical treatment (91.6%); 53.6% had positive margins. Performance of lymphadenectomy was infrequent (6.8%). Moreover, immunotherapy (4.5%), chemotherapy (1.5%) and radiation therapy (2.2%) were rarely employed in the management of invasive EMPD. Patients with early stage disease (n = 766) had better OS compared to those with advanced stage (n = 278) (5-yr OS rates were 84.3% and 73.6% respectively, p = 0.015) while presence of positive margins was not associated with worse OS (p = 0.35). Extramammary Paget disease is a rare vulvar tumor. Surgical excision is the main treatment option while other modalities are rarely employed. Overall survival rates are encouraging. • Approximately 95.% of patients with invasive vulvarl EMPD had excision. • Only 6.8% had lympadenectomy • Presence of positive margins was not associated with overall survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]