The silence around vulval cancer means people are missing the signs that they have it
Retrieved on:
Wednesday, September 27, 2023
Panic, Vagina, Tissue, Lymphedema, University, Awareness, Penis, Cancer, Quality of life, Cancer Research UK, Woman, Leg, Vulvectomy, Breast self-examination, Embarrassment, Incidence, Shame, Cervical cancer, Clitoris, Manchester, Menopause, Neoplasm, HPV, Diagnosis, VIN, Vulvar cancer, Imagination, Rest, Human papillomavirus infection, Dvin, Skin, Female, Great Wall of China, Birth control, Dietary supplement, Vaccine, Glass wool, Interior design, Vulva
Most people have heard of cervical, ovarian, and perhaps womb cancer, but there is one gynaecological cancer that is seldom mentioned: vulval cancer.
Key Points:
- Most people have heard of cervical, ovarian, and perhaps womb cancer, but there is one gynaecological cancer that is seldom mentioned: vulval cancer.
- According to Cancer Research UK, 69% of vulval cancers are considered preventable.
- In late-stage cancer, the treatment may be devastating and in extreme cases can involve removing the entire vulva, so increasing awareness is vital.
- The other main condition linked to vulval cancer is LS, a chronic skin condition which typically causes intense itching and white or ashy patches.
Delayed diagnosis
- In one Danish study comparing the diagnosis time of all gynaecological cancers, vulval cancer was found to have the longest delay.
- If you are concerned you have symptoms of vulval cancer or LS, you may need to insist on being examined.
- To this end, the University of Manchester has produced a resource to teach women how to do a vulval self-examination.
- Resources such as the Great Wall of Vulva can help women understand that vulvas come in all shapes and sizes.
Treatment for vulval cancer
- However, treatment for later stage vulval cancer can be brutal.
- In England, vulval cancer incidence rates are 74% higher in the most deprived groups.
- Increased awareness could save some women from being diagnosed with later stage vulval cancer and improve survival rates.
- We should be taking vulval itching and pain seriously, talking about vulval cancer and emphasising the importance of the HPV vaccine.