Invasive vulval cancer

Vulval cancer is a rare condition that can affect women of any age but is significantly more common in older women. The most common histological type is squamous cell cancer but other rarer forms do also occur. Age is the most important aetiological factor in older women but lifestyle factors and chronic conditions are also implicated. In the younger age group HPV is the most common factor associated with vulval cancer. As with most cancers prognosis depends on the stage of the disease at the time of diagnosis. Surgery is the mainstay of treatment in most cases but radiotherapy and chemotherapy, alone or in combination, also play an important role. In this review an overview will be given of the background of the disease, the treatment modalities and prognosis and outcome.