Understanding Vulvar Cancer
- Pippa Sharp thought she was suffering from a yeast infection until she was diagnosed with vulvar cancer at 49 years old. What led to her diagnosis was a hard spot on her labia which caused her discomfort and didn’t get better with antibiotics.
- Vulvar cancer occurs when abnormal cells form on the vulva, which is a part of the external female genitalia. Symptoms of vulvar cancer may include: a red, pink, or white lump or bump, itching, pain, burning, and thickness of the skin of the vulva.
- There are various types of vulvar cancer, which include: adenocarcinoma, sarcoma, melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, bartholin gland carcinoma, and Paget’s disease of the vulva.
- HPV infection is linked to multiple cancers, and most sexually active people will get the disease at some point in their lives.
- Overall, HPV is believed to be the cause of 90% of anal and cervical cancers, approximately 70% of vaginal and vulvar cancers, and 60% of penile cancers.
Back in August 2022, Sharp was given antibiotics to treat what she and her doctors suspected to be thrush, a common yeast infection. However, when her symptoms didn’t subside and she felt persistent discomfort on one hard spot on her labia, she grew concerned.
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By March 2024, she had the mass on her labia removed, followed by 50 rounds of radiotherapy and five rounds of chemo. Months later, when cancer returned to her labia, she had another surgery to remove it.
She advises, “It’s become a real focus of mine to get the word out there, while I’m waiting for the news. We talk so much about how we need to check our breasts.
“But we should be checking our vulvas regularly, too. It’s a quick check when you go to the toilet, or when you’re laying in bed.”
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After urging others to check for any pain or unusual bumps or discharge, she added, “You may be embarrassed for a few moments, but that 10-minute appointment could be the difference between finding it’s nothing … or catching cancer early.”
“I was embarrassed about vulval cancer at first – but now, I can’t shut up about it. It’s a rare cancer, but that doesn’t mean people shouldn’t know about it.”
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In an Instagram post from last year, Sharp shared the first video she shared on TikTok about her cancer battle.
She captioned the post, “It took me weeks to decide to do this and I was worried about how it would be received etc. from the moment I was diagnosed.
“I just wanted to make sure this rare cancer was more well known and to try and educate women.
In another post, she advised, “I know I mentioned in previous posts that the cancer I have is rare, so I need to make more people aware of it. I have vulva cancer. I was scared to post this because it’s in such an intimate place but I’m doing it anyway.
“Ladies, please check yourself and notice any changes, no matter how minor.”
Learning More About Vulvar Cancer
Vulvar cancer is a gynecological cancer of the vulva, and it’s relatively rare.
According to the American Cancer Society, vulvar cancer accounts for about 6% of cancers of the female reproductive organs and 0.7% of all cancers in women.
In the United States, women have a 1 in 333 chance of developing vulvar cancer at some point during their life. In 2025, about t 7,480 women will be diagnosed with vulvar cancer, and 1,770 women are expected to die from this cancer.
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Vulvar Cancer: Signs & Symptoms
If your vulva has changed color, it could be a sign of a specific type of vulvar cancer.
The specific type of disease that causes a discolored vulva is called invasive squamous cell cancer of the vulva, and according to ACS, some of the symptoms include:
- An area on the vulva that looks different from normal; it could be lighter or darker than the normal skin around it, or look red or pink.
- A bump or lump, which could be red, pink, or white and could have a wart-like or raw surface or feel rough or thick
- Thickening of the skin of the vulva
- Itching
- Pain or burning
- Bleeding or discharge not related to the normal menstrual period
- An open sore (especially if it lasts for a month or more)
Types of Vulvar Cancer
In addition to invasive squamous cell cancer of the vulva, there are other types of vulvar cancer, which include:
Adenocarcinoma
Cancer that starts in gland cells is called adenocarcinoma.
This type of vulvar cancer is uncommon. In fact, only about 8 of every 100 vulvar cancers are adenocarcinomas, according to ACS.
Most of the time, vulvar adenocarcinomas start in cells of the Bartholin glands. These glands are found just inside the opening of the vagina.
However, it should be noted that Bartholin gland cancer is easily mistaken for a cyst, which is a build-up of fluid in the gland, so it’s unfortunately rather common for it to take awhile to get an accurate diagnosis.
Melanoma
Melanoma is the most deadly type of skin cancer that starts in the pigment-producing cells that give skin color.
While this type of cancer is much more likely to appear on sun-exposed areas of the skin, it can start in other areas, such as the vulva.
This type of vulvar cancer is rare, according to ACS, making up about 6 of every 100 vulvar cancers even less than vulvar adenocarcinomas.
Sarcoma
Sarcoma cancers start in the cells of your bones, muscles or connective tissue.
This type of vulvar cancer is even more rare than the two aforementioned types, making up less than 2 of every 100 cases.
Unlike other cancers of the vulva, vulvar sarcomas can occur in females at any age, including in childhood, according to ACS.
Basal Cell Carcinoma
Basal cell carcinoma, the most common type of skin cancer, is more often found on sun-exposed areas of the skin.
Unlike melanoma, it’s very unlikely to develop on a woman’s vulva, but it can happen, making this type of vulvar cancer the most rare.
HPV’s Cancer Link
The human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is linked to multiple cancers, and most sexually active people will get the disease at some point in their lives.
Although nearly all cases of cervical cancer are indeed caused by HPV, people should also be aware that HPV puts both men and women at risk of developing several other cancers, such as oral cancer and cancers of the vagina, penis, anus, and throat.
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Overall, HPV is believed to be the cause of 90% of anal and cervical cancers, approximately 70% of vaginal and vulvar cancers, and 60% of penile cancers.
“There are no screening guidelines to screen for throat cancer, unlike cervical cancer with pap smears,” says Dr. Jessica Geiger, a medical oncologist at Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center, previously told SurvivorNet. “There are no standard tests to determine if you harbor the virus.”
On the plus side, HPV-related throat cancers are generally very responsive to a combination of radiation and chemotherapy treatments, according to Dr. Geiger.
“The cure rates for people who have HPV-related disease are a lot higher than those who have tobacco-related throat cancer,” she said.
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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