Vulvar Cancer Misdiagnosis Lawyers in Albany, NY

Vulvar cancer tends to occur in older women. Less than 20 percent of vulvar cancer cases are in women younger than 50, and more than 50 percent occur in women over 70. The average age of women diagnosed with invasive vulvar cancer is 70.

About one-half of all vulvar cancer is linked to an infection of certain human papilloma virus (HPV) types, which are often transmitted through sexual contact with someone who already has the virus. An HPV infection may produce no visible signs until pre-cancerous changes appear or the cancer develops.

Smoking further increases the risk of developing vulvar cancer among women who have a history of HPV infection. If women are infected with a high-risk HPV, they have a much higher risk of developing vulvar cancer if they smoke.

Almost all women with invasive vulvar cancers will exhibit symptoms. For instance, a distinct tumor might develop. The cancer might also appear as a red, pink, or white bump (or bumps) with a wart-like surface. The affected area could also appear white and have a rough surface.

Other symptoms include persistent itching, a burning sensation in the affected area, painful urination, and bleeding and discharge not associated with the normal menstrual period. Another sign of vulvar cancer is an open sore that lasts for more than a month.

A lump on either side of the opening to the vagina can be the sign of a Bartholin gland carcinoma, although a non-cancerous Bartholin gland cyst often causes a lump in this area.

A physical exam (including a pelvic exam) should include a detailed review of your risk factors and medical history. The only definitive way to determine if vulvar cancer is present is to undergo a biopsy where a small piece of tissue from the suspicious area is removed and examined under the microscope by a pathologist. If a suspicious area is small, a doctor may remove it completely for examination. If the abnormal area is larger, the doctor may do a punch biopsy instead, which involves removing a small, cylindrical sample of the skin.

For Stage I of the disease, the survival rate is 93 percent, according to National Cancer Institute statistics, compared to 79 percent for Stage II, 53 percent for Stage III and 29 percent for Stage IV.

Treatments of this disease largely depend on the stage of the cancer when diagnosed. A small tumor of 1 millimeter or less (Stage I) can be surgically removed. If the cancer has spread to the anus, lower third of the vagina, and/or lower third of the urethra (Stage II), one treatment option is a partial radical vulvectomy (removal of the tumor, nearby parts of the vulva, and other tissues containing cancer). Surgery is sometimes combined with radiation therapy to ensure all cancer cells are treated and removed.

If the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes (Stage III), treatment can include surgery to remove the cancer and affected lymph nodes, and either radiation therapy or chemotherapy. When the cancer has spread to other organs and tissues in the pelvic region or beyond (Stage IV), surgery is an option depending on the extent of the cancer spread, along with radiation and chemotherapy.

If the vulvar cancer has spread to organs and/or tissues outside the pelvic region, surgery is not curative but may be undertaken to relieve symptoms of bowel or bladder blockages.