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Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staff
Reduce your risk of sexually transmitted diseases
To reduce your risk of vulvar cancer, reduce your risk of sexually transmitted diseases such as HPV and HIV. To reduce your risk of these diseases:
- Limit your number of sexual partners. The more sexual partners you have, the greater your risk of exposure to HPV.
- Use a condom every time you have sex. A condom can protect you from HIV transmission. Condoms may reduce your risk of contracting HPV but can't fully protect against it.
- Consider the HPV vaccine. Girls and young women may want to consider getting the HPV vaccine to protect against the strains of the virus that are thought to cause the most cases of vulvar cancer.
Ask your doctor about pelvic exams
Ask your doctor how often you should undergo pelvic exams. These exams allow your doctor to visually examine your vulva and manually examine your internal reproductive organs to check for abnormalities. Talk to your doctor about your risk factors for vulvar cancer and other pelvic cancers in order to determine the most appropriate screening exam schedule for you.
- Jhingran A, et al. Cancers of the cervix, vulva and vagina. In: Abeloff MD, et al. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone; 2007:1766.
- Frumovitz M, et al. Neoplastic diseases of the vulva: Lichen sclerosus, intraepithelial neoplasia, Paget's disease, carcinoma. In: Katz VL, et al. Comprehensive Gynecology. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/202781245-2/0/1524/0.html. Accessed June 2, 2010.
- Crosbie EJ, et al. The management of vulvar cancer. Cancer Treatment Reviews. 2009;35:533.
- Whitcomb BP. Gynecologic malignancies. Surgical Clinics of North America. 2008;88:301.
- Elkas JC, et al. Vulvar cancer: Staging, treatment and prognosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 7, 2010.
- Gagne HM. Colposcopy of the vagina and vulva. Obstetric and Gynecologic Clinics of North America. 2008;35:659.
- Helm CW. Radical vulvectomy. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 7, 2010.
- Barton DPJ. The prevention and management of treatment related morbidity in vulvar cancer. Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics Gynaecology. 2003;17:683.
- Disorders of the vulva. American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp088.cfm. Accessed June 9, 2010.
- Human papillomavirus infection. American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp073.cfm. Accessed June 9, 2010.
- Vulva. In: Edge SB, et al. AJCC Cancer Staging Manual. 7th ed. New York, N.Y.: Springer; 2010:379.
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