title: Radiation therapy in carcinoma of the vulva.
abstract: Sixteen patients who had malignant lesions of the vulva and were treated at Cook County Hospital from July 1957 to June 1976 are presented. Nine patients received irradiation as a primary treatment, four received preoperative irradiation, and three received postoperative irradiation. External irradiation was employed for all patients, and tele-cobalt or tele-cesium therapy was utilized to deliver 3000 to 6000 rad to the vulvar and/or inguinal area. The number of patients in this study is small; however, the response to radiation therapy was remarkable in all patients. There was no residual cancer in vulvectomy specimens of four patients with invasive squamous cell carcinoma who received 3000--4200 rad external irradiation prior to surgery. This study suggests that further investigation of radiation therapy in the management of vulvar cancer seems justified.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D014846:Vulvar Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*