Vulvar cancer is rare, accounting for about 6% of gynecologic cancers in the United States. Most cases are squamous cell carcinoma, often linked to HPV infection or a chronic skin condition called lichen sclerosus. Standard treatment combines surgery, radiation, and sometimes chemotherapy, but advanced or recurrent disease has limited options.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing immunotherapy drugs like pembrolizumab and nivolumab, which have shown activity in other HPV-related cancers. Researchers are studying targeted drugs against specific mutations, sentinel lymph node techniques to reduce surgical complications, and radiation approaches that spare surrounding tissue. There's also work on treatments for precancerous vulvar lesions to prevent progression to cancer.
Immunotherapy for advanced disease
Checkpoint inhibitors like pembrolizumab are being tested in recurrent or metastatic vulvar cancer. Early results suggest some tumors, especially HPV-positive ones, respond to these drugs.
Surgical refinement
Studies are testing less extensive lymph node removal to reduce chronic swelling and infection risk. Sentinel node mapping aims to identify the few nodes most likely to contain cancer.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on cancer stage, whether it's a new diagnosis or recurrence, HPV status, and prior treatments received.
What types of trials are currently open
- Immunotherapy trials — Testing checkpoint inhibitors alone or combined with chemotherapy for advanced or recurrent vulvar cancer.
- Surgery trials — Comparing surgical approaches, including sentinel node biopsy versus full lymph node removal, to reduce complications while maintaining cancer control.
- Radiation trials — Testing newer radiation techniques or combinations with chemotherapy to improve tumor control and reduce side effects.
- Prevention trials — Studying treatments for vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia, a precancerous condition, to prevent progression to invasive cancer.
- Biomarker studies — Analyzing tumor tissue to identify mutations or HPV status that might predict response to specific treatments.
Recently added Vulvar Cancer trials
Try an online program designed to reduce worry about cancer returning
This clinical trial studies whether an intervention supported by technology (blended e-health intervention) works to improve fear of progression (FOP) in women with gynecologic or breast cancer. FOP is the fear patients experience from the possibility that their cancer could grow, spread, or get worse. Managing FOP is a leading unmet concern of cancer patients. High levels of FOP are associated with distress, depression, and increased health care costs, despite this, access to resources to address FOP remain limited. The blended e-health intervention in this trial offers remote group sessions along with online sessions to help patients access the information. Session content incorporates values-based goal setting and skills practices to manage unhelpful beliefs about worry and promote helpful coping behaviors. The sessions may help patients recognize unhelpful thoughts and behaviors which reinforce worry. A blended e-health intervention may be an effective way to improve FOP in women with gynecologic or breast cancer.
Share your treatment data in a gynecologic cancer registry
REGYNERA(dia)TION is an international, multicenter, ambispective observational patient registry of adults with recurrent gynecologic malignancies after prior radiotherapy who are treated or planned for reirradiation and/or total ablative strategies as part of routine clinical care. The registry does not assign treatment. Radiotherapy technique, dose, systemic therapy, surgery, metastasis-directed therapy, imaging, and follow-up are selected by the treating multidisciplinary team according to local standards and patient-specific factors. The registry will collect harmonized retrospective and prospective data on disease characteristics, prior radiotherapy, recurrence pattern, reirradiation or ablative treatment exposure, response, progression, survival, severe treatment-related morbidity, fistula events, and patient-reported outcomes where available.
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