The vulva is the area between your legs that make up the sex organs that are outside your body.

The vulva is made up of:

• the lips around the vagina
• the clitoris
• two small glands on each side of the vagina.

In the UK, 1,300 people are diagnosed with vulval cancer each year.

What are the symptoms?

Commons signs of vulval cancer include:

• an itch in your vulva that doesn’t go away
• pain or tenderness in the vulva
• raised and thick areas of skin on the vulva that can be red, white or dark
• a lump, like a wart on the vulva
• bleeding from the vulva or blood-stained vaginal discharge between periods
• an open sore in the vulva
• a burning pain when weeing
• a mole on the vulva that changes shape or colour.

Most people who get vulval cancer are women over the age of 65.

When should I speak to a GP?

You should talk to a GP if you notice any of these symptoms or any changes in your vulva. It’s unlikely that these are because of cancer, but it’s good to be sure.

What treatments are available?

Surgery can remove cancerous tissue from your vulva. You could also have radiotherapy (using radiation to destroy cancer cells) or chemotherapy (using medicine to kill cancer cells) or both.

Can I die from vulval cancer?

How vulval cancer affects you depends on many things, including:

• how big the cancer was when it was diagnosed
• whether the cancer has spread
• the types of cells where the cancer starts
• your age and general health.

Support

Eve Appeal
Lady Garden Foundation
NHS UK

More information

Watch our webinar with top experts answering common questions about the five gynaecological cancers, including vulval cancer, below.