Les traitements du cancer de la vulve: expérience du Centre d’Oncologie d’Oujda

Vulvar cancer is a rare neoplastic disorder accounting for less than 5% of female genital cancers. This study aims to describe the epidemiological, clinical, paraclinical, therapeutic and evolutionary profile of vulvar cancer in the population of the eastern region of Morocco. We conducted a retrospective study of all patients treated for vulvar cancer in the Oncology Center, University Hospital Mohammed VI in Oujda, Morocco from June 2007 to January 2014. The study included 34 patients with an average age of 65.7 years, of whom 52.9% were multiparous. The most frequent reason for consultation was pruritus (94.1% of cases). The median of consultation time was 16 months, ranging from 2 months to 8 years. Ignorance and modesty were the major causes of diagnostic delay, since 73.5% of patients already had locally advanced disease at diagnosis. Surgical treatment was proposed to 61.4% of cases and was based on radical vulvectomy associated with bilateral inguinal lymphadenectomy in 68.5% of cases. Adjuvant radiotherapy was indicated in 41.2% of cases, 5.9% of patients underwent neo-adjuvant radiotherapy while 20.6% underwent exclusive radiotherapy associated with concomitant chemotherapy. Palliative chemotherapy was proposed to 8.8% of patients. The overall survival rate at 3 years was 65%, locoregional or distant recurrence rate was 17.3%. Cultural and social characteristics of patients of the eastern region of Morocco treated for vulvar cancer are factors influencing treatment and outcomes. Additional prevention and awareness efforts should be made in order to reduce the rates of locally advanced tumors and to enable curative treatment for this population.