title: Treatment outcome in patients with vulvar cancer: comparison of concurrent radiotherapy to postoperative radiotherapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate outcome and morbidity in patients with vulvar cancer treated with radiotherapy, concurrent chemoradiotherapy or postoperative radiotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  The records of 24 patients treated with radiotherapy for vulvar cancer between July 1993 and September 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. All patients received once daily 1.8-4 Gy fractions external beam radiotherapy to median 51.2 Gy (range, 19.8 to 81.6 Gy) on pelvis and inguinal nodes. Seven patients were treated with primary concurrent chemoradiotherapy, one patient was treated with primary radiotherapy alone, four patients received palliative radiotherapy, and twelve patients were treated with postoperative radiotherapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty patients were eligible for response evaluation. Response rate was 55% (11/20). The 5-year disease free survival was 42.2% and 5-year overall survival was 46.2%, respectively. Fifty percent (12/24) experienced with acute skin complications of grade III or more during radiotherapy. Late complications were found in 8 patients. 50% (6/12) of patients treated with lymph node dissection experienced severe late complications. One patient died of sepsis from lymphedema. However, only 16.6% (2/12) of patients treated with primary radiotherapy developed late complications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Outcome of patients with vulvar cancer treated with radiotherapy showed relatively good local control and low recurrence. Severe late toxicities remained higher in patients treated with both node dissection and radiotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, St. Vincent's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Jayoung
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sung Hwan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Giwon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Mina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Dong-Choon
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Joo-Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Sei-Chul
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Yoon
keywords: Concurrent chemoradiotherapy; Paget's disease; Postoperative radiotherapy; Squamous cell carcinoma; Vulvar neoplasms