BACKGROUND: Vulvar cancer is a rare disease and knowledge on prognostic factors is therefore limited and inconsistent. The aim of this study was to determine prognostic variables for recurrence and survival and to identify patterns of recurrence in patients with vulvar cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients (n = 103) with primary vulvar cancer treated at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf between 1996 and 2003 were retrospectively analysed regarding the prognostic relevance of different clinicopathological variables. Recurrences were evaluated with regard to their characteristics and localisation. RESULTS: Age, lymph node metastasis, tumor size, depth of invasion and involvement of resection margins predicted poor disease-free and overall survival in univariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, lymph node status was the most important independent prognostic factor (p = 0.002). No correlation was observed between lymph node metastasis and localization of recurrent disease. Regardless of initial nodal involvement, recurrences occurred primarily in the vulvar region. CONCLUSION: Inguinofemoral lymph node status at initial diagnosis is of critical prognostic importance for patients with vulvar cancer. Further tumour biological characteristics need to be identified to stratify patients with nodal involvement for adjuvant radiotherapy of the vulva to prevent local recurrences.
BACKGROUND:Vulvar cancer is a rare disease and knowledge on prognostic factors is therefore limited and inconsistent. The aim of this study was to determine prognostic variables for recurrence and survival and to identify patterns of recurrence in patients with vulvar cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients (n = 103) with primary vulvar cancer treated at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf between 1996 and 2003 were retrospectively analysed regarding the prognostic relevance of different clinicopathological variables. Recurrences were evaluated with regard to their characteristics and localisation. RESULTS: Age, lymph node metastasis, tumor size, depth of invasion and involvement of resection margins predicted poor disease-free and overall survival in univariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, lymph node status was the most important independent prognostic factor (p = 0.002). No correlation was observed between lymph node metastasis and localization of recurrent disease. Regardless of initial nodal involvement, recurrences occurred primarily in the vulvar region. CONCLUSION: Inguinofemoral lymph node status at initial diagnosis is of critical prognostic importance for patients with vulvar cancer. Further tumour biological characteristics need to be identified to stratify patients with nodal involvement for adjuvant radiotherapy of the vulva to prevent local recurrences.
Authors: Matthias Choschzick; Linn Woelber; Stephan Hess; Christine zu Eulenburg; Jörg Schwarz; Ronald Simon; Sven Mahner; Fritz Jaenicke; Volkmar Müller Journal: Virchows Arch Date: 2010-04-01 Impact factor: 4.064
Authors: André Mourão Lavorato-Rocha; Iara Sant'ana Rodrigues; Beatriz de Melo Maia; Mônica Maria Ágata Stiepcich; Glauco Baiocchi; Kátia Cândido Carvalho; Fernando Augusto Soares; José Vassallo; Rafael Malagoli Rocha Journal: Tumour Biol Date: 2013-07-06
Authors: Sara Iacoponi; Ignacio Zapardiel; Maria Dolores Diestro; Alicia Hernandez; Javier De Santiago Journal: J Gynecol Oncol Date: 2013-07-04 Impact factor: 4.401