Overview

Transcript

Vulvar cancer is a cancer of the outside skin surrounding the opening of the vagina, including the clitoris and the labia. There are going to be about 6,120 vulvar cancers and 1,550 deaths due to vulvar cancer in the United States in 2021. This accounts for about 0.3% of all cancers in women in the United States. As shown in the anatomy picture, the vulva is the outer portion and the vagina is the internal canal that leads to the cervix. The cancers that originate in the vulva or the outside tissue are called vulvar cancer. And those that originate from the vaginal canal are called vaginal cancer. This distinction becomes important when we treat these cancers. Once these cancers are diagnosed, the patient should be referred to a gynecologic oncologist like myself. A gynecologist is a medical practitioner with specialized training in gynecologic cancers.