title: Quality of life and sexual function after surgery in early stage vulvar cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Vulvar carcinomas are rare genital malignancies. In a retrospective study on 21 patients factors influencing the quality of life and sexual function were investigated. All patients were interviewed according to the Female Sexual Function Index questionnaire (FSFI) and the Short Form 12(®) questionnaire (SF12).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 21 patients that had been operated for vulvar carcinoma FIGO stage I or IIIa in the years 2006-2008. Patients that had adjuvant radiotherapy were excluded. 14 patients had been treated by a wide excision, the other 7 by a vulvectomy. 10 patients had undergone a total inguinal lymphadenectomy, 5 patients a sentinel node biopsy. In a multivariate analysis lymphadenectomy was the only factor influencing the patients' sexual function: Patients without lymphadenectomy or with sentinel node biopsy scored better in terms of sexual function, neither age nor the extend of the surgery resulted in a significant difference.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The lymphadenectomy has a negative influence on the patients' sexual function after surgical treatment for vulvar carcinoma. The indication for lymphadenectomy should hence be seen critically.
authors.affiliation: Sana Klinikum Remscheid, Burger Str. 211, Remscheid D-42859, Germany. Electronic address: dr.forner@gmx.de.
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Forner
authors.affiliation: Kaiserswerther Diakonie, Florence Nightingale Hospital, Kreuzbergstraße 79, Dusseldorf D-40489, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dakhil
authors.affiliation: Kaiserswerther Diakonie, Florence Nightingale Hospital, Kreuzbergstraße 79, Dusseldorf D-40489, Germany.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lampe
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D013509:Gynecologic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007264:Inguinal Canal; D008197:Lymph Node Excision / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D019529:Sexuality; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014846:Vulvar Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*
keywords: Clitoris-conserving surgery; Quality of life; Sexual function; Vulvar cancer