Vulval cancer affects more than 1,300 women in the UK every year but few people are aware of the risk factors and warning signs.
The cancer affects the outer area of a woman’s genitals including the lips (labia minora and labia majora), the clitoris and the Bartholin’s glands.
Older women are the most at risk of vulva cancer, as 80% of the cases are diagnosed in ladies over the age of 60.
The pre-cancerous form of the condition – called vulva intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN) – is often diagnosed in younger women between the ages of 30 and 50.
Being diagnosed with VIN doesn’t definitely mean you will get cancer, but it should be closely monitored because there is no way to tell if it will or won’t develop into cancer.
The Eve Appeal’s gynaecological cancer information nurse, Tracie Miles, told Net Doctor: “Awareness among women is surprisingly low.
“Vulva cancer is the fourth most common of the gynae cancers after womb, cervical and ovarian; with vaginal cancer being the rarest.”
Ageing, smoking and being diagnosed with the Human papillomavirus virus (HPV) are factors which increase your risk.
HPV is the name for a group of viruses that affect your skin and the areas of your body like the mouth, throat, cervix, penis and anus.
There are more than 100 types of HPV – 40 of which can affect your genitals – and infections are common and highly contagious.
It’s typically spread through genital-to-genital contact during sex, including anal or oral, but some types can also be spread through kissing.
To mark Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month, here are the top eight most common symptoms of vulva cancer:
1. Itching, burning or soreness of the vulva that doesn’t go away
2. A lump, swelling or wart-like growth on the vulva
3. Thickened, raised, red, white or dark patches on the skin of the vulva
4. Bleeding, or a blood-stained vaginal discharge, not related to menstruation (periods)
5. Burning pain when passing urine
6. Tenderness or pain in the area of the vulva
7. A sore or ulcerated area on the vulva
8. A mole on the vulva that changes shape or colour
