Primary treatment and relative survival by stage and age in vulvar squamous cell carcinoma : A population-based SweGCG study

Objective: Vulvar cancer affects mainly elderly women and with an ageing population the incidence has increased. We explored the primary treatment patterns and relative survival of patients with vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC) by stage and age-group. Methods: A population-based nationwide study on women diagnosed with VSCC between 2012 and 2016 and registered in the Swedish Quality Registry for Gynecologic Cancer (SQRGC). Main outcome was 5-year relative survival (RS) estimated by the Pohar Perme method. The relative risk of excess mortality (EMRR) between different groups was analyzed by Poisson regression. The age-standardized relative survival (AS-RS) was estimated for the total cohort. Results: Median follow-up time was 41 months. The study population included 657 women; 33% were >= 80 years old. FIGO stage I was most common (55%). Primary surgery was performed in 96% stage I, 65% stage II, 80% stage III and 28% stage IV. In women >= 80 years, exploration of the groins and chemoradiotherapy was less often performed. They also received lower mean doses of radiation than younger women. The 5-year AS-RS was 74%. 5-year RS was 84% for stage I, 60% for stage II, 54% for stage III and 35% for stage IV. The EMRR for women >= 80 years compared with women <60 years was 4.3 (p < 0.001); 4.9 (p < 0.001) for stages I-II and 3.5(p = 0.007) for stage III. Conclusions: In general, primary treatment of patients with vulvar squamous cell carcinoma in Sweden ad-hered to guidelines. Areas of improvement include treatment for stage II and for the very old.