Vulvar Cancer: Anyone else?

@scm. The question of sugar and sugar craving is a good question to ask your physician at Mayo Clinic. It’s been something discussed here on Connect. I haven’t seen any evidence that sugar increases a tumor. I know that when I’m very stressed and anxious that I crave sugar and carbohydrates. Do you think that could have something to do with your current sugar cravings?

@scm I did have a PET scan before surgery. It was scheduled so I could go to surgery immediately after. It showed lymph node involvement on the right side only. My gyn/oncologist removed sentinel lymph nodes from both the right and left sides as they are the first lymph nodes to which cancer cells are most likely to appear.

Upon examination after surgery, the cancer cells were only detected microscopically. I didn’t need to have radiation or chemotherapy, at this time, due to that.

I'm just jumping in here because I was told at Dana Farber that surveillance after surgery (I did not have to have radiation or chemo either) is very important: every 3 months for 2 years, and then every 6 months (can't remember for how long).

@mdr3 I was told the same thing.

I have no proof but as soon as my surgery was done I wasn't craving sugar at all like I was in the month leading up to it

I also have vulvar melanoma. How did your appt go? Do you have a plan in place?

I am in the process of scheduling this surgery. Well, was on the schedule and now have to change doctors. Wondering how you are doing by now. I have done 2 sessions of immunotherapy in hopes of shrinking the lesion so maybe surgery can be less invasive. I’m nervous about the after effects.

Good luck with your surgery, I wish you the very best. I feel like I am fully recovered now after five weeks but have just scheduled 35 rounds of radiation to begin after Christmas. My cancer is related to HPV. Even though the margins were clear from the lesion removal my doctor said I would have a 50% chance of recurrence without radiation so to increase my odds of no recurrence I have opted for more treatment. It seems that the anxiety of not knowing what will happen is half the battle, but I can reassure you that surgery was not as difficult as I anticipated. My lymph nodes have resolved after being drained a couple of times. Everyone seems to recover differently, Hopefully you will breeze through the whole process!

So glad you have recovered. How do you know yours is from hpv? I also had that several years ago, (my spouse had an affair). I did see that was listed as a possible cause on Mayos website but my dr has not mentioned it. I feel very lucky to have caught it early. It has gotten much larger since the biopsy, not sure if it would have anyway or if that just ‘angered’it. My lesion is about the size of my thumb nail. I’m doing a a lot of holistic, natural things right now too in hopes of shrinking it and will continue to take afterwards for reoccurrence. That is the scary part. I have read so many instances where it comes back. Sorry that you have this but it’s nice to chat with someone going through the same process.I had my bladder lifted and some other major things done to my ‘plumbing’ a few years ago and that surgery was rough plus I had complications and had to go under again for more stitches on Christmas Day…I’m not looking forward to more surgery down there:(

Cancer thrives on sugar. I’m doing a lot of naturopathic supplements and holistic cures in my battle. I would recommend for everyone to do some research on healing your body. Our bodies let us down once so we need to ‘beef up’ our health to keep it from reoccurring!