Prevalence and Treatment of Vulvar Cancer From 2014−2018: A Nationwide Population-Based Study in Korea

Abstract

Background: Vulvar cancer is one of the rare gynecologic malignancies. Despite the recent increasing trend of vulvar cancer in western countries due to the increased infection ofhuman papillomavirus, there has been no study for population-based incidence of vulvarcancer in Korea. We aimed to investigate the prevalence and treatment of vulvar cancer inSouth Korea between 2014 and 2018.Methods: Data from patients diagnosed and treated with vulvar cancer between 2014 and2018 were obtained from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service/NationalInpatient Sample (National In-Patient Sample) in South Korea.Results: A total of 4,636,542 women were identified through the HIRA-NIS database from2014 to 2018, of which 259 patients were diagnosed and treated for vulvar cancer. The meanage diagnosed with vulvar cancer was 62.82 (± 14.30) years in 2014, 64.19 (± 16.79) years in2015, and 67.40 (± 14.41) years in 2016. In terms of treatment modalities, the most frequenttreatment was surgery only without chemotherapy or radiation therapy. In the age-specificprevalence analysis, vulvar cancer was the most prevalent among those over 70 years old.According to multiple regression analysis, patients’ age was significantly associated withthe prevalence of vulvar cancer. Vulvar cancer was more prevalent in women with lowsocioeconomic status (SES) compared to those with high SES in 2018 (OR, 4.242; P < 0.001).Conclusion: Considering the high prevalence of vulvar cancer in the elderly, it is necessary toestablish a new strategy for early screening and treatment