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Would you consider radiation alone or chemoradiation therapy for a small vulvar cancer near the urethra or clitoris?

To avoid disfiguring surgery, would you consider treating a 2 cm well lateralized tumor without surgery? If so, would you recommend concurrent chemotherapy? Would you include nodal volumes, if so inguinal and low pelvis? Unilateral or bilateral?
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Would you recommend chemotherapy with radiation treatment for treatment of a small but unresectable 1-2 cm vulvar cancer?

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3 Answers
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Radiation Oncology · University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Answered on

Yes, I think radiation is worth considering in this situation. However, the morbidity of radiation is also significant with potential for edema and fibrosis in high dose volume. The consequence of that may arguably be worse than surgery. If we do treat with radiation, I would still add chemotherapy ...

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Radiation Oncology · Washington University School of Medicine
Answered on

Since this tumor is near the clitoris and urethra, a local resection and radiation therapy is not the best approach. To try to decrease morbidity when irradiating larger volumes, I would consider a boost to the primary lesion with brachytherapy, for a total dose of about 7000 cGy. I am not aware of ...

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Radiation Oncology · Varian Medical Systems/Allegheny health network
Answered on

We would do concurrent chemo RT and treat primary and bilateral groins.

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