Does vulvar cancer spread quickly if not treated with chemotherapy?

Written by Yan Chun
Oncology
Updated on September 18, 2024
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Vulvar cancer is a type of malignant tumor in women. For patients in the early stages of vulvar cancer, chemotherapy is generally not required after radical surgery. Even without chemotherapy, the disease progression of early-stage vulvar cancer is relatively slow, and many patients can achieve clinical cure after the radical surgery. However, for patients with mid-to-late stage vulvar cancer, postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy is generally required after the radical surgery to reduce the chances of disease recurrence and metastasis. Without postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy, the disease can spread quickly, and many patients soon experience the spread of the disease, eventually leading to multi-organ failure and death. Therefore, it is essential for patients who need adjuvant chemotherapy to complete the supplementary treatment regularly and on time after surgery.

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Written by Yan Chun
Oncology
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What will happen when vulvar cancer becomes severe?

Vulvar cancer is a malignant tumor of the female reproductive system. When vulvar cancer becomes severe, the lesions metastasize to many areas, which can cause serious clinical symptoms, severely affect the patient's quality of life, and even endanger the patient's life. For example, if vulvar cancer metastasizes to the inguinal lymph nodes, pain can occur in the area of the metastases. Additionally, mobility of the limb on the side of the metastases is limited, and swelling of the lower limb occurs. If the patient's lesions metastasize to the lungs through the hematogenous route, clinically the patient may experience coughing, expectoration, chest tightness, chest pain, and even some patients may have respiratory failure, which severely threatens their life. Some patients have bone metastases, and besides pain in the area of the bone metastases, some patients also experience pathological fractures, limited mobility, and significant pain.

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Written by Yan Chun
Oncology
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Is the vulvar cancer nodule soft or hard?

Vulvar cancer clinically forms nodular lesions that are generally hard in texture with poor mobility and tend to adhere to surrounding tissues, and have indistinct borders. Due to the rapid growth of the nodules, their shape is usually irregular, easily forming granulomatous or cauliflower-like appearances, and they are prone to contact bleeding. Patients with vulvar cancer typically have nodular lesions that are likely to invade surrounding tissues or metastasize to lymph nodes. The chances of distant metastasis to the lungs, liver, bones, or brain are relatively lower. Clinically, it is common to see enlarged inguinal lymph nodes and pain caused by metastatic foci. Some patients may also experience local skin metastasis, subcutaneous nodules, or skin itching as clinical manifestations. For the treatment of vulvar cancer, radical surgery is primarily recommended, with radiation therapy and chemotherapy also being effective options.

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Written by Cui Fang Bo
Oncology
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Can vulvar cancer be detected by B-ultrasound?

Vulvar cancer, due to its superficial location, does not require an ultrasound for detection. Vulvar cancer is a malignant tumor of the vulva, with primary squamous epithelium being the most common type. The main clinical manifestations are vulvar nodules, often accompanied by pain and significant itching. Local necrosis or infection can occur, and the lesions of vulvar cancer can be directly observed with the naked eye. However, ultrasound examination is also widely used in vulvar cancer, not for detecting the cancer itself, but for examining whether there is enlargement of the lymph nodes in the groin, abdomen, and pelvic regions, suspecting invasion by cancer cells.

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Written by Sun Ming Yue
Medical Oncology
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Can vulvar cancer be detected by TCT?

The patient's TCT generally cannot detect whether they have vulvar cancer. TCT can also be referred to as liquid-based thin layer cytology, primarily examining the exfoliated cells scraped from the cervix to see if they are malignant. A negative result indicates that there is no cervical cancer. If one wishes to check for vulvar cancer, gynecological examinations can be conducted. These include blood tests for tumor markers, vaginal ultrasound, and vaginal tissue biopsy. Through these tests, any abnormalities in the vulva can be detected. It is advised that patients seek timely examination and treatment based on the disease.

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Written by Yan Chun
Oncology
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Will the vulvar cancer be rotten in the late stage?

Patients with advanced vulvar cancer do not all show signs of internal ulceration. This is because, for most patients with vulvar cancer, the progression of the disease can lead to invasion of the surrounding tissues or distant metastasis. Some patients may experience heavy local infiltration, leading to tissue ulceration. However, most patients in the advanced stages primarily show symptoms related to lymphatic and hematogenous metastasis. When patients with advanced vulvar cancer develop lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis, they may experience symptoms of metastatic lesions, such as inguinal lymph node metastasis causing limb swelling and pain. If there are distant metastases to the lungs, liver, or other areas, patients may exhibit respiratory symptoms such as coughing and expectoration, or liver-related symptoms such as pain in the liver area or decreased appetite.