Aldara Blog

Rise in Vulvar Precancers Leads to New Guidelines

Posted 20 Oct 2011 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Oct. 20 – The number of American women with precancerous cells of the vulva increased more than fourfold between 1973 and 2000, and the increase has led to the release Thursday of new treatment guidelines by two major medical groups. Cancer of the vulva – the outside of the genital area – is usually caused by infection with human papillomavirus (HPV), which also causes cervical cancer. The precancerous condition – known as vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN) – should be treated with surgery, laser removal or medical therapy, according to the new guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology. VIN is divided into two main types. Usual-type VIN is often associated with cancer-causing strains of HPV and risk factors such as smoking and a weakened immune system. Differentiated VIN is ... Read more

Related support groups: Aldara, Zyclara, Gardasil, Human Papilloma Virus, Imiquimod, Human Papillomavirus Vaccine, Cervarix