Vulvar cancer: a review for dermatologists

Abstract

Vulvar malignancies are important tumors of the female reproductive system. They represent a serious health issue with an incidence between 2 and 7 per 100,000 and year. We provide a review about most important cancer entities, i.e., melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, neuroendocrine cancer, and skin adnexal malignancies.Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common vulvar malignancy that can develop from vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia or de novo. Basal cell carcinoma represents only 2% of all vulvar cancers. Melanoma of the vulva exists in two major types-superficial spreading and acral lentiginous. A special feature is the occurrence of multiple vulvar melanomas. Of the adnexal cancer types Paget's disease and carcinoma are seen more frequently than other adnexal malignancies. The dermatologist should be aware of this problem, since he might be the first to be consulted by patients for vulvar disease. Treatment should be interdisciplinary in close association to gynecologists, oncologists, and radiologists.

MiR-223-5p works as an oncomiR in vulvar carcinoma byTP63suppression

“…It is noteworthy that HPV, a major risk factor for vulvar cancer [4, 66], requires p63 for its late viral functions [67]. While SW962 cells are HPV negative [68], almost 40% of our FFPE samples were demonstrated to be HPV positive.…”

Dermoscopic findings of vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia: a series of four cases

“…Two main variants exist: the classic, ‘warty‐basaloid’, or ‘usual type’, representing the great majority of cases, often associated with HPV, and the ‘differentiated’ variant, accounting for 5% of cases, usually affecting postmenopausal women, and often associated with VLS and not with HPV . It is known that vulvar SCC is usually associated with pre‐existing VIN and/or HPV infection . Differentiated VIN has a greater tendency to become malignant …”

“…is known that vulvar SCC is usually associated with pre-existing VIN and/or HPV infection. 5 Differentiated VIN has a greater tendency to become malignant. 2 Treatment of VIN consists of wide local excision or other less invasive procedures.…”

“…6 Medical therapy with imiquimod can also be administered. 3,[5][6][7] VIN is usually symptomatic, leading to pruritus in the majority of cases. 7 As most patients with VIN tend to visit gynaecologists, only few dermatological studies have been published.…”

Vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia and vulvar squamous cell carcinoma: differential dermoscopic features in a case series, and a progression model

“…Vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most common vulvar malignancy, and about 60% of cases arise after menopause . Vulvar SCC is usually associated with a pre‐existing vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN), in particular differentiated VIN (DVIN), which is often associated with vulvar lichen sclerosus (VLS) …”