Vulvar cancer. Possibilities of reconstructive surgery

Whereas decades ago, vulvar cancer was a tumor primarily diagnosed in older women, nowadays, this tumor is increasingly seen in younger women. The rising incidence is mainly due to the increasing number of young women presenting with these tumors. Depending on the age of the women, persistent infection with high-risk human papillomavirus is responsible for the development of these lesions in 30-50% of the cases. More than 50% (our own data) of the tumors are located between the clitoris and urethra. Standard treatment is tumor resection with sufficient margin or (partial) vulvectomy and complete inguinofemoral lymphadenectomy or sentinel node biopsy in specialized centers. New therapy options include reconstruction of the vulva with local skin flaps to improve esthetic and functional outcome especially in young, sexually active women.