Getting diagnosed with vulval cancer
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.
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.
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.
Read more about the cervical screening test
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:
vulval 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.
Find out more about the risks and causes of vulval cancer
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.
Find out about the symptoms of vulval cancer and how to do a self examination
Last reviewed: 29 Aug 2025
Next review due: 29 Aug 2028
Your GP will ask about your general health and any symptoms you might have. They may also examine you to look for any changes or lumps in the vulval area.
There are guidelines for GPs to help them decide who needs to be referred to a vulval cancer specialist.
You have a number of tests to find out if you have vulval cancer. These include a vulval examination and a biopsy.
Vulval intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN) is a skin condition of the vulva. Find out about symptoms and treatment options.
Not everyone diagnosed with vulval cancer will have symptoms. Things to look out for include an open sore or lesion in the vulva.
Vulval cancer is a rare cancer. It can start in any part of the female external sex organs, the vulva. The treatment you need depends on how big the cancer is and whether it has spread.
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