Possible vulvar cancer

[Mummyofbananas]

in January I found an ulcer lump like patch on my vulva, it was painless. It hasnt gone away and has possibly grown a bit.

i went to doctors yesterday and she’s referred me urgently to gynaecology she said it looks unusual and feels lumpy but that it’s positive I have no other symptoms. I did have recurrent thrush at end of last year but that’s gone now.

I’m panicking is there anything not scary it can be? It’s like a purplish almost bruise looking with white edges and feels like it’s got slightly bigger since I noticed it.

Could it be lichen planus?

I don’t think so doesn’t look like it and no itching etc the doctor said she’d have thought maybe a graze but the lumpy feeling concerned her

I think the doctor was expecting it to be herpes she was asking about cold sores and had a swab ready, when she looked she said oh I see it I won’t need this. She’ said it’s good I don’t have other symptoms and visually she’d have thought it was a cut but it did feel strange and lumpy and looked unusual. She said I’m not too worried but he’s general reaction seemed concerned to me.

Anyone? I’m panicking

Not sure how old you are, but It is more common in older women than younger.

It might be cancer or it might be nothing but if it’s caught early enough then treatment is usually successful.

I had a diagnosis of vaginal cancer in Nov 2020 and had successful treatment.
I do know of another MNetter with vulval cancer but my post chemo brain isn’t working right now. Post on the Cancer Support Thread in general health and someone else might remember.

Calling @toofaroutallmylife Managed to remember your old name.

Thank you Mrspnut!

im 34 I know it’s unlikely but the doctors reaction worried me and I’ve had a look online and it does look concerning from images I’ve compared to.

Hello. I’m the poster @MrsPnut paged under my old name. Yes, I was diagnosed with vulval cancer (melanoma) back in 2019. I’d been putting off going to the Gp for months (and trying to treat it with germolene 🙈) so well done for getting it looked at.

It’s scary when you get an urgent referral, but the sooner you know what you’re dealing with (and it could well be nothing) the sooner you will have a plan to deal with whatever it is.

Feel free to ask any questions or message me. I’m still here 4 years on (and ran a half marathon last weekend- not bad for a 54 year old with a reconstructed vulva, if I do say so myself).

The Eve Appeal charity has lots of information on their website and a helpline which might also be able to help.

Hang in there x

Thanks so much for responding @Onewildandpreciouslife do you mind if I ask what your first symptoms were?

I had a couple of lumps, a bit like spots. I’ve had those before in the past, that went away on their own, but these didn’t. I also had quite dark discolouration, like blood blisters, but as I’ve had a couple of children, and never inspected my vulva that closely before, assumed it was just collateral damage.

How long to wait before your appointment? It could be absolutely nothing, so please try to distract yourself in the meantime, and don’t google! MacMillan and Eve Appeal have good information on their websites

Thank you I’d say this looks a bit like a blood blister but feels lumpy and with thickened skin around it, it feels like it just popped up out of nowhere but like you I have children and hadn’t been looking.

I don’t have my appointment yet but she said they’re really backed up so looking at up to two months.

I’m Scotland so it’s not 2ww here unfortunately

You don’t have any other symptoms, hold on to that.

Could you call gyne and request to be contacted about any last minute cancellation appointments?

Or would you consider going private? I'm not suggesting you need to but just if it gives you peace of mind to be seen asap.

Thanks I don’t really have the money to go private just now but fingers crossed it’s not too long

Hey. Did you ever get an answer? I have something similar.

Hiya, just wondered if you had any updates, have the same situation myself and I'm absolutely terrified. Xx

Ingrowing hair?

I have a little blood blister type thing. I firt noticed during pregnancy when I had varicose veins in that area and the blood blisters would occasionally bleed.
I'm also wondering if it's something that I should be concerned about .

Hi @ThisOldThang no I don't think so. This feels smooth and slightly raised off the skin, there's a harder lump below, just on the labia majora, it's not sore, not itching, no other symptoms. Me poking at it and seeing if bursts probably isn't helping! I thought it had a yellow/white head when squeezed but it won't pop and now that seems to have gone and its just a darker red when squeezed.
Sorry for TMI but I'm just not used to something that's not going away. It's been there a few weeks, i went to the doc and she didn't seem concerned but I can't shake the feelin it's something more. I'm just gonna have to go back.

Hi, mine was a sebaceous cyst- it went away on it's own after a while.