Basal cell carcinoma of the vulva: clinical features and treatment results in 28 patients

OBJECTIVE: To review our experience and that in the recent literature regarding basal cell carcinoma of the vulva to see whether current management guidelines are appropriate. METHODS: Twenty-eight women with basal cell carcinoma of the vulva were seen over 25 years at the BC Cancer Agency. The clinical-pathologic features were tabulated and the outcome was analyzed. RESULTS: The mean age was 74 years, and almost two-thirds were over the age of 70 at diagnosis. Patients typically presented with an irritation or soreness, with a symptom duration ranging from a few months to several years. Most lesions were confined to the anterior half of the vulva, and 23 of the 28 patients had T1 lesions. Wide local excision was the treatment method used most commonly. Only one patient was known to have died from disease metastasis. Ten women had other basal cell carcinomas, either before or after the diagnosis of their vulvar lesions, and in ten patients 11 other malignancies were diagnosed. CONCLUSION: Basal cell carcinoma of the vulva is an extremely uncommon tumor that rarely metastasizes or spreads. Primary treatment should consist of wide local excision and continued follow-up.