Prognostic factors in vulvar cancer patients: a single center experience

Purpose: Many prognostic factors have been investigated in vulvar cancer patients. In our study, we aimed to compare clinical and pathological prognostic factors and investigate the factors that affect the recurrence and survival in patients with recurrent and non-recurrent squamous cell vulvar cancer. Materials and methods: This retrospective study was conducted in Tepecik Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey between 1999-2020. The descriptive features, prognostic factors and survival in recurrent patients were evaluated. Results: Tumor invasion depth, surgical margin positivity, lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI), are statistically significant for recurrence (p=0.03, p=0.00, p=0.04). Variables such as age, tumor size, surgical margin distance (mm), tumor localization, presence of metastatic lymph node, operation type (surgery with lymph node dissection) and adjuvant therapy were not found to be statistically significant in terms of recurrent patients with vulvar cancer. There was correlation between recurrence, LVSI, surgical margin positivity, stage and survival in Kaplan Meier survival analysis. Conclusion: As in other studies, many prognostic factors like tumor invasion depth, surgical margin positivity, LVSI are risk factors for recurrence in our study. Stage, LVSI, recurrence, surgical margin positivity were significant factors for survival as well.