Stage I vulvar cancer: criteria for microinvasion.

Thirty-eight women with stage I epidermoid carcinoma of the vulva were studied retrospectively in an attempt to define the criteria for conservative therapy in early invasive vulvar cancer. Among the 38 women, 23 met the 6 criteria established for early invasive carcinoma of the vulva. In those 23 women, there were no nodal metastases. Depth of stromal invasion correlated strongly with the degree of tumor differentiation and the presence of carcinoma in situ (CIS). Stromal invasion less than 3 mm and presence of CIS were predictive of no involvement of the lymph nodes or endothelial-like space.