Objectives: To evaluate clinical prognostic factors and outcome for patients with vulvar cancer.
Materials and methods: We conducted a retrospective review of the medical records of 32 patients treated at the Lower Silesian Cancer Center in Wrocław for vulvar cancer from 1996 to 1998.
Results: The stages of disease were as follows: 0--9%, Ia--22%, Ib--16%, II--22% and III--31%. The overall probability of survival was 46.2% at 5 years. The probability of disease-free survival was 40% at 5 years. Recurrence of disease was found in 10 patients (7 cases of local recurrences and 3 cases of dissemination).
Conclusions: The most important prognostic factors were: patients' age, depth of invasion, lymph node status and tumor size. The clinical outcome was strongly influenced by general state of health of patients which makes impossible to perform optimal treatment in many cases. The prognosis in cases in which recurrence occurred is usually poor.