9:22 AM
admin
Health Blog:To understand vulvar cancer and how it can affect your life, you’ll first need to know about cancer. When you’re affected by cancer, unwanted cells start growing in important sections in your body. Over a period of time, these cells can interfere with the body’s functioning, bringing up a variety of problems due to their malignant nature.
When such invasive growth occurs over the vulva, vulvar cancer is caused. This form of cancer mainly goes misdiagnosed because of two other similar problems that affect the vulva – vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia and paget’s disease.
Types of Vulvar Cancer
There are three major types of vulvar cancer, and these are melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma. Squamous cell carcinoma is the most prevalent type of vulvar cancer, while basal cell carcinoma is the least prevalent type.
This type of vulvar cancer can be easily spotted, and it is caused by a carcinoma that originates in the vulva tissue, from its epidermis. In this type of vulvar cancer, the lesions usually appear in the labia majora, slowly spreading to other parts in the genital region like the clitoris, the local glands and the fourchette. Such lesions commonly occur due to old age, while younger women might also be occasionally affected.
In this type, the lesions spread through the local lymph system and they mainly are unifocal. From the labia, the lymphatic drainage then proceeds to the upper regions of the vulva. It reaches the femoral and inguinal nodes and then proceeds towards the deep lymph nodes. Once these have been affected, the problem spreads to the lymph nodes present in the pelvis. The rectum, urethra and other nearby organs like the vagina can also be affected by this tumor.
This type of cancer also has a sub type that’s termed as verrucous carcinoma. This first appears in the form of a wart and then grows in size till it becomes a fully fledged tumor.
2. Melanoma
This is the second most prevalent type of vulvar cancer. It’s different from squamous cell carcinoma through the fact that younger women are more likely to suffer from this type of cancer. Melanoma is more likely to spread from one organ to another than the previous type of vulvar cancer too. This makes melanoma more potentially lethal when compared to squamous cell carcinoma.
This is the least prominent type of vulvar cancer, and this type of cancer is similar to the first type, going by the fact that it affects the elderly only (at least in most cases). Its potential for metastasis is low, which means that it doesn’t spread that fast to other organs that surround the affected organ. Sometimes sarcoma or adenocarcinoma can also rise under vulvar cancer.
Symptoms of Vulvar Cancer
There are many symptoms that are associated with vulvar cancer, and the main ones have been given below:
- Constant itching and irritation in the genital region
- Local bleeding in the vulvar region
- Any form of discharge from the genital region
- Ulceration or lumps and lesions present in the labia
- Pain during sexual intercourse and dyspareunia
- Discoloration in the genital region
Diagnosis of Vulvar Cancer
Lumps in the genital region can easily be spotted through an evaluation done by a gynecologist. Any masses or ulceration can indicate the presence of cancer. Any suspicious lesion present in the genital region will be biopsied (when the patient is under an anesthetic) and studied to see whether the growth is a cancerous one.
Treatment of Vulvar Cancer
You will be referred to an oncologist, who'll handle your treatment based on the extent of your cancerous growth. There are many forms of treatment involved; including chemotherapy and radiation therapy, but it should be noted that these methods are only used in the final stages of the disease.
Cancerous growth in the vulva can be removed through surgical procedures if the cancer hasn't spread to the nearby regions. In case other organs like the rectum and vagina have been affected, more extensive surgery should be performed.
Vulvar cancer should be noted during its initial stages, because it can be easily treated during this time.
Source: http://www.lifemojo.comRead more: http://www.lifemojo.com/lifestyle/all-about-vulvar-cancer-123048084#ixzz1Sqqk5jeY
Posted in: 
0 comments:
Post a Comment