Screening for vulval cancer

There is no national screening programme for vulval cancer in the UK. This is because there isn’t a test that can pick up vulval cancer at an early stage. 

What is cancer screening?

Screening means testing people for early stages of a disease. This is before they have any symptoms. For screening to be useful the tests:

• need to be reliable at picking up cancers
• overall must do more good than harm to people taking part
• must be something that people are willing to do

Screening tests are not perfect and have some risks. The screening programme should also be good value for money for the NHS.

Why there isn’t a screening programme for vulval cancer in the UK?

There isn't a national screening programme for vulval cancer at the moment because there isn't a reliable test that can pick up vulval cancers at an early stage. Vulval cancer is also rare, so many people would have unnecessary tests. This means that the benefits of having a screening test don't outweigh the costs.  

With rare cancers, it is more cost effective to screen people who are at a higher risk. Talk to your GP if you think you are at a higher risk than average of developing vulval cancer. Your GP may offer you regular check ups.  

Screening for cervical cancer

The NHS has a screening program for cervical cancer. The cervical screening programme aims to pick up changes early that could develop into cervical cancer if left untreated. 

It tests for a virus called human papilloma virus (HPV). High risk HPV can cause cervical cells to become abnormal. Virtually all cases of cervical cancer are linked to high risk HPV. 

Cervical screening does not screen for vulval cancer. But when you have cervical screening, your nurse routinely examines your vulva at the same time.  

They may pick up changes in the vulva, for example, a lump or ulceration. They can investigate any changes they find and you can have treatment if needed. This can help prevent vulval cancer from developing.

What to do if you think you are at higher risk of vulval cancer

Speak to your GP if you think you are at higher risk of vulval cancer. For example if you have one of the following skin conditions of the vulva:

• vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN)
• lichen sclerosus

You have regular check ups with your GP or at the hospital if you have any of these conditions. They monitor you closely to check for signs of vulval cancer. 

Checking for changes in the vulva

Some doctors recommend that you look at your vulva regularly to look for any changes. They call this self examination. Checks like this might help you to pick up vulval conditions and cancer at an early stage. These can then be treated if needed.