title: Characterization of sociodemographic and clinicopathological features in Brazilian patients with vulvar squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate sociodemographic and clinical-epidemiological profiles of patients with vulvar carcinoma in São Paulo, the largest city of Brazil, to establish a more consistent profile of these features once the incidence of vulvar carcinoma has risen considerably. Data regarding the epidemiological aspects of this tumor are scarce.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study was performed using 300 medical records from patients diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva and surgically treated at A.C. Camargo Hospital in São Paulo, Brazil, from 1978 to 2009.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median age of onset was 70 years, ranging from 15 to 98 years, and most women were white (88.51%). Most patients (83.54%) had little or no schooling and had the lowest survival curve. Many patients were diagnosed in the early stages of the disease (57.09% FIGO IB), 59% had complications due to surgery and 43.71% had disease recurrence, of which about 70% died.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study adds 300 Brazilian cases of vulvar carcinoma to the world literature. Given the high rate of disease recurrence and mortality in Brazil, we conclude that regular gynecologic evaluation and educational policies should be reinforced in order to raise awareness for vulvar cancer.
authors.affiliation: Anatomic Pathology Department, Hospital A.C. Camargo, São Paulo, Brazil. beatriz.melomaia @ gmail.com
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: de Melo Maia
authors.forename: Flávia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Munhoz Cestari
authors.forename: André Mourão
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Lavorato-Rocha
authors.forename: Iara
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sant'Ana Rodrigues
authors.forename: Glauco
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baiocchi
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cardoso Guimarães
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vassallo
authors.forename: Mônica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stiepcich
authors.forename: Fernando Augusto
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Malagoli Rocha
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014845:Vulvar Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D014846:Vulvar Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D055815:Young Adult