Vulvar cancer in young women: demographic features and outcome evaluation

Objective: The objective of the study was to identify prognostic and environmental factors associated with vulvar carcinoma in young women. Study Design: This study was a review of patients younger than 45 years who were diagnosed with vulvar squamous cell carcinoma between 1994 and 2006. Results: Fifty-six patients were identified. Median age was 38 years and median follow-up was 25.3 months. Fifty-eight percent of patients presented with stage I disease; 77% smoked tobacco. Of patients with advanced disease, 53.3% were smokers, 40% had human papillomavirus (HPV) exposure, 46.7% had a history of vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN), and 6.7% were immunocompromised. Symptoms were present for more than 12 months in 47%, but symptom duration did not correlate with stage (P = .42) or positive lymph nodes (P = .28). Disease recurred in 10.7% and 5.4% died of disease. Conclusion: Young women with vulvar cancer tend to have early-stage disease, smoke, have a history of HPV, and have VIN. Many of the factors that place these patients at continuous risk are modifiable.