Vulvar Cancer Tests, Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Stages

Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center’s multidisciplinary teams provide advanced and compassionate care for vulvar cancer. While we have expertise from across the medical and cancer treatment spectrum, we are more than experts in oncology. We are here to help you understand the treatment process and what to expect, as well as to answer any questions you may have.

What tests screen for vulvar cancer?

When screening for vulvar cancer, your doctor will ask about your health, lifestyle, personal history and family history. They may also recommend these tests:

• Pelvic exam, where your doctor examines your vulva, vagina, cervix and rectum. The doctor inserts a speculum into your vagina so they can look for signs of disease. They also feel the uterus by placing a gloved finger in the vagina and feeling the abdomen with the other hand. They feel for lumps in the rectum with a gloved finger as well.
• Pap test or Pap smear, which is often performed at the same time as a pelvic exam. Your doctor takes a few cells from your cervix and vagina and sends them to a lab to be evaluated for any abnormalities.

If you have a growth on your vulva that your doctor suspects could be cancer, you’ll need a biopsy to know for sure. Your doctor may use a lighted, magnified instrument called a colposcope to look for abnormalities. They can remove some tissue from suspicious-looking areas with a small knife or a punch tool and send the samples to a lab for examination.

If you’re diagnosed with vulvar cancer, imaging tests, including CT, MRI or PET scans and chest X-rays, can determine how advanced it is and whether it has spread.

What are the stages of vulvar cancer?

If you’re diagnosed with vulvar cancer, you’ll have additional tests to see whether the cancer has spread. The results of these tests will tell you the stage of the cancer. Vulvar cancer is labeled stage 0, 1A, 1B, 2, 3 or 4.

• Stage 0. Abnormal cells, which could become cancer, are found on the surface of the vulva.
• Stage 1A. The tumor is two centimeters or smaller, is confined to the vulva or the area between the anus and vagina (the perineum), has spread one millimeter or less into the surrounding area called the stroma and has not spread to the lymph nodes.
• Stage 1B. The tumor is more than two centimeters, is confined to the vulva or the area between the anus and vagina (the perineum), has spread one millimeter into the surrounding area called the stroma and has not spread to the lymph nodes.
• Stage 2. The tumor has spread to nearby areas such as the anus, lower urethra or lower vagina, but not to the lymph nodes.
• Stage 3. The tumor has spread to the lymph nodes.
• Stage 4. The tumor has spread to the upper urethra, upper vagina or areas further away in the body.

What Is the prognosis for vulvar cancer?

The prognosis depends on when the cancer is caught, how big the tumor is, whether the cancer has spread, your age and other factors. When vulvar cancer is caught early, doctors can often treat it successfully. According to the American Cancer Society, the five-year survival rate for vulvar cancer is 86%.

Your team at Banner MD Anderson is here to provide advanced care and help you understand what a diagnosis of vulvar cancer means for you.

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