Vulval cancer - survival statistics

This page presents vulval cancer survival statistics including trends, deprivation, age and stage at diagnosis.

Survival data is only available for cancers of the vagina and vulva combined. Five-year relative survival rates for vulval and vaginal cancers vary significantly by stage of disease and age at diagnosis. The overall five-year relative survival rate for women diagnosed with cancers of the vulva and vagina in England and Wales in 1996-99 was 58%, and the one-year survival rate was 76%. 1

Vulval cancer survival by:

 

Vulva cancer survival trends

One- and five-year relative survival rates for vaginal and vulval cancer among women diagnosed in England and Wales improved by an average of 3% every five years between 1971 and 1990. This trend continued for patients diagnosed in the 1990s. Rates improved from 62% to 76% for one-year survival and from 40% to 58% for five-year survival between the periods 1971-75 and 1996-99 ( Figure 3.1). 1, 2

Figure 3.1: One- and five-year relative survival for cancers of the vulva and vagina, patients diagnosed in England and Wales, 1971-99, by year of diagnosis

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Deprivation and vulva cancer survival

Evidence suggests that survival rates for the most deprived women are significantly lower than rates for the most affluent patients. 3

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Vulva cancer survival by age

Vulva cancer survival rates decrease with increasing age at diagnosis. Among women diagnosed between 1996-99 in England and Wales, the five-year relative survival rates for those aged 15-49 was 83%, for women aged 50-69 it was 65% and for those aged 70+ it was 52% ( Figure 3.2). 1

Figure 3.2: One- and five-year relative survival for cancers of the vulva and vagina, patients diagnosed in England and Wales, 1996-99, by age at diagnosis

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Vulva cancer survival and stage at diagnosis

An international survey of patients with vulval cancer reported five-year survival of 31% for women with a FIGO stage III tumour, and 77% for women with stage I tumours.4 The five-year survival rate for node-negative patients following surgery is 70-90% but falls to 25-40% if nodes are involved. 4, 5

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References for vulva cancer survival

  1.  Office for National Statistics, 2005 Cancer survival: England and Wales, 1991-2001, less common cancers by age group,
  2.  Office for National Statistics,2005 Cancer survival: Cancer survival trends by period of diagnosis and sex age-standardised relative survival at one and five years, and average increase in relative survival between successive five-year periods of diagnosis, 1971-1990,
  3.  Coleman, M.P., et al., Cancer Survival Trends in England & Wales, 1971-1995 Deprivation & NHS Region. 1999 The Stationery Office.
  4.  Beller, U., et al., Carcinoma of the vulva. Int J Gynaecol Obstet, 2003. 83 Suppl 1: p. 7-26
  5.  Perez, C.A., et al., Irradiation in carcinoma of the vulva: factors affecting outcome. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys, 1998. 42(2): p. 335-44