Treatment of recurrent carcinoma of the vulva

From 1960 to 1976, 29 patients out of a total 164 were evaluated at the University of Wisconsin Center for Health Sciences for recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva. Additional surgery or irradiation was administered to 93%. The majority of patients (18) presented with recurrent disease involving only the perineum. The average survival following surgery was 43 months, or after irradiation, 26 months. Many of these patients (73%) obtained local control of their disease. Recurrent tumor involved the groins or pelvis in the remaining patients (9). Seven of these patients obtained good palliation and/or local control following surgery or irradiation. The average survival for the entire group was 24 months with 2 patients NED at 4 and 13 years.