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Surgery
Source: Vulvar Cancer Treatment, National Cancer Institute.
Source updated: September 18, 2024 · Captured 2026-09-09.
Selected source text with whitespace normalised. This Triangle page is not an NCI PDQ summary. Independent clinical review is pending.
Context: Treatment options for vulvar cancer
Surgery is the most common treatment for vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN) and vulvar cancer.
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One of the following types of surgery may be done to treat VIN:
Separate excision of a lesion: A surgical procedure to remove a lesion of concern.
Wide local excision: A surgical procedure to remove the area of skin affected by VIN and some of the normal tissue around it.
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Laser surgery: A surgical procedure that uses a laser beam (a narrow beam of intense light) as a knife to make bloodless cuts in tissue or to remove a surface lesion such as a tumor.
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Ultrasound surgical aspiration: A surgical procedure to break the tumor up into small pieces using very fine vibrations. The small pieces of tumor are washed away and removed by suction. This procedure causes less damage to nearby tissue.
Skinning vulvectomy: The top layer of vulvar skin where the VIN is found is removed. Skin grafts from other parts of the body may be needed to cover the area where the skin was removed.
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The goal of surgery for vulvar cancer is to remove all the cancer without any loss of the woman's sexual function. One of the following types of surgery may be done to treat vulvar cancer:
Wide local excision: A surgical procedure to remove the cancer and some of the normal tissue around the cancer.
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Radical local excision: A surgical procedure to remove the cancer and a large amount of normal tissue around it. Nearby lymph nodes in the groin may also be removed.
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Vulvectomy: A surgical procedure to remove part or all of the vulva:
Modified radical vulvectomy: Surgery to remove most of the vulva. Nearby lymph nodes may also be removed.
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Radical vulvectomy: Surgery to remove the entire vulva. Nearby lymph nodes are also removed.
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Pelvic exenteration: A surgical procedure to remove the lower colon, rectum, and bladder. The cervix, vagina, ovaries, and nearby lymph nodes are also removed. Artificial openings (stoma) are made for urine and stool to flow from the body into a collection bag.
After the doctor removes all the cancer that can be seen at the time of the surgery, some patients may be given chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy after surgery to kill any cancer cells that are left. Treatment given after the surgery, to lower the risk that the cancer will come back, is called adjuvant therapy.
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Preserved source evidence · Independent clinical review pending · Not medical advice