If you notice any possible signs of vulval cancer, speak to your doctor. It may not mean cancer, but symptoms should always be checked to allow early treatment if needed.

Some people find it embarrassing to discuss genital symptoms. Your doctor is there to help, and your health is the most important aspect. 

It’s not always known what causes vulval cancer. But there are risk factors that increase your chances of getting the condition. These include age, HPV infections, certain skin conditions, and smoking.

If you have possible signs of vulval cancer, you should book an appointment with your GP, who can assesses your symptoms and, refer you to a specialist for further assessment.

If a biopsy is required, a sample from your vulva will be taken to look at under a microscope for cancer cells. If it shows cancer, you’ll have more diagnostic tests to check whether the cancer has spread.

These include:

• Cervical screening
• Cystoscopy to check the bladder
• Proctoscopy to check the rectum
• Imaging scans such as CT scan, MRI scan, and ultrasound

Vulval cancer staging can be confusing. Your doctor is always the best person to explain your cancer stage. 

Treatment for vulval cancer typically depends on how big the cancer is, whether it’s spread and your general health. The main treatments are surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Treatment for vulval cancer includes:

• Surgery – the type of surgery you have will depend on how big your cancer is and how much of your vulva is affected
• Radiotherapy – high-energy radiation beams are delivered to destroy cancer cells while doing as little harm as possible to healthy cells
• Chemotherapy – anti-cancer (cytotoxic) drugs that destroy cancer cells
  
• Targeted therapy – blocks processes that vulval cancer cells use to survive and grow
• Immunotherapy –  encourages your immune system to recognise and attack vulval cancer cells 

Skip ahead to learn more about our world-class treatments for vulval cancer at GenesisCare.

Our cancer specialists have close relationships with top surgeons from local and nationally renowned hospitals. They’ll work with them and other gynaecological experts to decide the best course of treatment for you. This can be arranged conveniently at one of our partner hospitals. You can then continue your other treatments at GenesisCare.

We understand that vulval cancer surgery can feel worrying. You’ll be supported at every stage, from discussing the latest options with our leading consultants to psychological support and managing your recovery for the best possible outcomes.

We offer many of the newest evidence-based drug therapies used to treat vulval cancer. Depending on the treatment, you may attend one of our private chemotherapy suites, staffed by specialist nurses.

Our compassionate nursing teams are available 24/7 on a dedicated on-call telephone service, and they can answer any queries during your treatment. They can also advise on side effects and symptoms and arrange appropriate medical care when needed.

Our centres have all received the Macmillan Quality Environment Mark to reflect the quality of care we provide for people living with cancer.

At GenesisCare, we’re the leading independent provider of radiotherapy in the UK and offer world-class expertise, state-of-the-art facilities and advanced radiotherapy techniques.

Your journey is overseen by expert multidisciplinary teams (MDTs), consisting of oncologists, radiotherapists, and medical physicists. They collaborate closely to design a personalised treatment plan for you that ensures you get the best possible care.

We deliver radiotherapy using our latest-generation machines, built to deliver highly targeted and controlled radiation beams. The accuracy of these treatments, together with the expertise of our teams, helps our patients achieve the best possible outcomes.

Our leading consultants are experts in the latest radiotherapeutic techniques for vulval cancer, including stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR). Focused high-energy radiation beams allow treatment in five or fewer sessions, often instead of surgery. If you’ve previously had radiotherapy to the pelvis, the precision of SABR can allow re-treatment.

If your cancer is widespread to other parts of the body, it’s called advanced or If your cancer has spread to other parts of the body, it may be called advanced, metastatic or stage 4 vulval cancer. At GenesisCare, your specialist may recommend palliative drug treatment for advanced vulval cancer to reduce the size and progress of your cancer and ease pain and other symptoms.

For some advanced cancers, we use specialist tests, such as liquid biopsy or genomic testing, to understand the genetic makeup of cancer cells. This helps us to identify which drugs are available to work against specific genetic mutations in your cancer to help start effective treatment without delay.

There may also be opportunities to access clinical trials for the newest drug treatments for vulval cancer.

We treat more than just your cancer, with a program of personalised integrative cancer care proven to improve cancer outcomes. This includes exercise medicine, sleep support and access to a wellbeing expert, plus holistic therapies such as counselling, acupuncture, massage and reflexology through our unique partnership with the Penny Brohn UK charity.