Clonal Relationship Between Lichen Sclerosus, Differentiated Vulvar Intra-epithelial Neoplasia and Non HPV-related Vulvar Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Background/aim: Differentiated vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (dVIN) and lichen sclerosus (LS) can give rise to vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC), but genetic evidence is currently still limited. We aimed to determine genetic abnormalities in VSCC and backtrack these abnormalities in the dVIN and LS lesions.

Materials And Methods: DNA from VSCC and patient-matched dVIN and LS samples of twelve patients was collected.

An alternative way to measure the depth of invasion of vulvar squamous cell carcinoma in relation to prognosis.

Depth of invasion is an important prognostic factor for patients with vulvar squamous cell carcinoma. The aim of this study was to identify the most optimal method of measuring the depth of invasion in relation to the individual outcome in patients with vulvar squamous cell carcinoma. Data of 175 consecutive patients with a primary vulvar squamous cell carcinoma with known lymph node status, treated in the Radboud University Medical Center, the Netherlands (2000-2010), were stored in a database.

Lymph node count at inguinofemoral lymphadenectomy and groin recurrences in vulvar cancer.

Objective: The objective of the study is to determine the risk factors for groin recurrence (GR) in patients with primary vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) after inguinofemoral lymphadenectomy (IFL) without lymph node metastases and/or adjuvant chemoradiotherapy.

Methods: The study is a multicenter retrospective review of clinical and histopathological data of patients with lymph node-negative vulvar SCC who underwent an IFL. Patients with and without GRs were compared to identify risk factors.

Medical students' perceptions of the physician's role in not allowing them to perform gynecological examinations.

Purpose: To determine how often medical students are not allowed to perform gynecological examinations during their obstetrics-gynecology clerkship, identify the barriers to participation related to physicians and patients, explore the role of the supervisory physician in not allowing medical student involvement, and explore differences between male and female students' experiences.

Method: All medical students entering their obstetrics-gynecology clerkship at a medical school in the Netherlands between May and October 2011 were invited to participate in this study's questionnaire, which asked them to report the number of gynecological examinations they were allowed and not allowed to perform during their clerkship. Eighteen questionnaire respondents participated in three focus groups.

Interobserver variability and the effect of education in the histopathological diagnosis of differentiated vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia.

No published data concerning intraobserver and interobserver variability in the histopathological diagnosis of differentiated vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (DVIN) are available, although it is widely accepted to be a subtle and difficult histopathological diagnosis. In this study, the reproducibility of the histopathological diagnosis of DVIN is evaluated. Furthermore, we investigated the possible improvement of the reproducibility after providing guidelines with histological characteristics and tried to identify histological characteristics that are most important in the recognition of DVIN.

Successful centralisation of patients with vulvar carcinoma: a population-based study in The Netherlands.

Introduction: In general, centralisation of care for patients with rare malignancies is advised in order to improve outcome with respect to prognosis and treatment related morbidity. Therefore, centralisation of women with vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), which is an extremely rare tumour, has been advocated by the national guidelines of the Dutch Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in 2000. The objective of this study was to determine whether this advice has been adapted and has led to improved survival.