Vulvar Cancer

Clinical Description 

Vulvar cancer is a cancer that grows in a woman's external genitalia, including the vaginal lips, clitoris, opening of the vagina and its glands.

Vulvar cancer accounts for about 4% of all gynecological cancers. It is estimated that in the United States in 2010 about 3,900 new cases will be diagnosed and about 920 women will die from vulvar cancer.

Symptoms of Vulvar Cancer

  • A lump in the vulvar area
  • Abnormal bleeding not related to periods
  • Itching or burning that does not go away 
  • Pain and tenderness
  • Skin color changes or thickening

Risk Factors of Vulvar Cancer 

  • Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection: usually passed through sexual contact. 
  • Older age 
  • Smoking
  • Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
  • Vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN): a precancerous condition
  • Lichen sclerosus: white patches on the vulva skin, causing thin and itchy skin

How Vulvar Cancer is Diagnosed


Your doctor may exam your vulva with a special lens (colposcopy) to look for abnormalities. You doctor may remove all or part of the suspicious skin from the vulva. A pathologist will then review the specimen under a microscopy to check for cancer cells. 

Treatment Options for Vulvar Cancer at Tufts Medical Center

  • Surgery is the most common treatment for vulvar cancer. Depending on the extent of the procedure, the surgery could be: wide local excision (removing cancer and some of the normal tissue around it) or radical local excision (removing the cancer and a large amount of normal tissue around it) and removal of the lymph notes from one or both groins. 
  • Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill cancer cells.
  • Chemotherapy uses one or a combination of drugs to kill cancer cells. For vulvar cancer, it is usually given through an IV and often at the same time as radiation therapy.

Programs + Services


Gynecologic Oncology Program

Physicians at the Gynecologic Oncology program at Tufts Medical Center are skilled in minimally invasive approaches such as robotic-assisted surgery to treat ovarian, uterus and cervical cancers.
More information about programs and services

Doctors + Care Team

Rafael Gonzalez, MD

Rafael Gonzalez, MD

Accepting New Patients

LGBTQ+ Health

Title(s): Gynecologic Oncologist
Department(s): Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gynecologic Oncology
Appt. Phone: 617-636-6058
Fax #: 617-636-3258

Ovarian Cancer, Endometrial Cancer, Cervical Cancer, Vulvar and Vaginal Cancers, Gestational Trophoblastic Neoplasia, Complex Pelvic Surgery

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Young Bae Kim, MD

Young Bae Kim, MD

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Accepting New Patients

Virtual Appointments Available

Title(s): Gynecologic Oncologist; Associate Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine
Department(s): Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gynecologic Oncology
Appt. Phone: 617-636-6058
Fax #: 617-636-3258

Ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, uterine cancer, other gynecologic cancers, complex gynecologic surgery, robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery

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Sarah E.  Paraghamian, MD

Sarah E. Paraghamian, MD

Accepting New Patients

Title(s): Gynecologic Oncologist
Department(s): Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gynecologic Oncology
Appt. Phone: 617-636-6058
Fax #: 617-636-3258

gynecologic oncology, uterine, ovarian, cervical and vulvar cancers, minimally invasive surgery, fertility-preserving treatment options

View Full Profile for Sarah E. Paraghamian, MD