Treatment for vulvar cancer is either local (removal or destruction of cells in a certain area) or systemic (to destroy or control cancer cells throughout the entire body). The three standard treatments for vulvar cancer are surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
Surgery
Surgery removes the cancer while keeping as much of the surrounding tissue as possible. Your options may include:
- Laser surgery: Uses a laser beam to burn off abnormal cells on the vulva.
- Excision: Taking out the cancer and some of the healthy tissue around it.
- Vulvectomy: Surgery to remove all or part of the vulva
- Inguinal (groin) node dissection: Removal of lymph nodes in the groin, if the cancer has spread
Depending on the stage of the cancer, some patients will receive additional treatment such as radiation after surgery. Treatment given after surgery is called adjuvant therapy.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy is used in the treatment of a wide variety of gynecologic cancers. It may be used alone in early stage tumors or combined with chemotherapy in locally advanced disease. In addition, it may be used before or after surgery.
- High-Dose Brachytherapy is a form of internal radiation therapy where radioactive sources are placed inside the body, close to the tumor. Methods used at UCSD include cylinder, interstitial, tandem and ovoid, and tandem and ring.
- Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) is a form of external-beam radiation that uses sophisticated technologies to locate the tumor and improve treatment accuracy so that healthy tissue is not harmed.
- Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) is another state-of-the-art external beam radiation therapy that improves delivery precision, thereby minimizing dosage to surrounding normal tissue. UCSD’s Dr. Arno Mundt pioneered the use of IMRT in gynecologic cancers.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the administration of drugs by mouth, injection or IV to kill cancer cells. One of the unique aspects of gynecologic oncology is that specialists in this field are specially trained in chemotherapy for cancers of women’s reproductive organs. With their advanced knowledge, gynecologic oncologists can select the best drug combinations for each patient, manage complications and minimize side effects.
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