Vaginal and Vulvar Cancer
A Fact Sheet from the North Carolina Central Cancer Registry, State Center for Health Statistics
An HPV-associated cancer is a specific cellular type of
cancer that is diagnosed in a part of the body where HPV
(Human Papilloma Virus) is often found. These parts of
the body include the cervix, vagina, vulva, penis, anus,
rectum, and oropharynx (back of the throat, including the
base of the tongue and tonsils). According to the CDC,
each year there are about 34,800 new cancer cases caused
by HPV in the United States.
aginal and Vulvar cancers are considered as rare
cancers. About 70% of these cancers are caused by
HPV. It is estimated that 259 females in North Carolina
will be diagnosed with Vaginal and Vulvar cancer and 58
females will die of Vaginal and Vulvar cancer in 2020.
Figure 1. 2013-2017 Percent of Vulvar and
Vaginal Cancer Cases by Age Group
Percentages may not add up to 100 percent due to rounding.
Incidence
The percentage of cases of Vaginal and Vulvar cancer
from 201 3 to 201 7 is displayed by age group in Figure
1. About 7.2 percent of Vaginal and Vulvar cancer cases
were diagnosed in people younger than 45.
October 2020
From 2013 to 2017, the age-adjusted incidence rate for
Vaginal and Vulvar cancer in North Carolina was 3.7
per 100,000 persons per year. Hispanic females have
the highest incidence rate for Vaginal and Vulvar cancer
(Figure 2).
Figure 2. 2013-2017 Vulvar and Vaginal
Cancer Incidence Rates by
Race and Ethnicity
All Races and Non-Hispanic Non-Hispanic Hispanics
Ethnicities Whites Blacks
Race and Ethnicity
■ Females
From 2003 to 2017, Vaginal and Vulvar cancer incidence
rates have increased slightly for both white and minority
females (Figure 3).
Figure 3. 2003-2017 Vulvar and Vaginal
Cancer Incidence Trends by Race
—♦—White —«—Minority
NC DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Division of Public Health
State of North Carolina ♦ www.nc.gov ♦ Department of Health and Human Services
www.ncdhhs.gov ♦ North Carolina Division of Public Health ♦ www.publichealth.nc.gov
State Center for Health Statistics ♦ www.schs.state.nc.us
North Carolina DHHS is an equal opportunity employer and provider.
Stage at Diagnosis*
Figure 4 shows the stage distribution of Vaginal and
Vulvar cancer cases diagnosed from 2013 to 2017.
Approximately 86.8 percent of Vaginal and Vulvar cancer
cases were diagnosed at the localized or regional stage.
Figure 4. 2013-2017 Percent of Vaginal and
Vulvar Cancer Cases by Stage
Unkncwn
5.6%
Regional .
28.5%
r
L
A
.Localized
58.3%
Percentages may not add up to 100 percent due to rounding
Mortality
From 2013 to 2017, the percentage of Vaginal and Vulvar
cancer deaths is displayed by age group in Figure 5. About
45.3 percent of deaths occurred in people ages 65 to 84.
Figure 5. 2013-2017 Percent of Vulvar and
Vaginal Cancer Deaths by Age Group
Percentages may not add up to 100 percent due to rounding.
The age-adjusted mortality rate of Vaginal and Vulvar
cancer from 2013 to 2017 was 0.8 per 100,000 people
per year. When comparing Vaginal and Vulvar cancer
rates by race and ethnicity, Hispanic females have the
highest mortality rate (Figure 6).
Figure 6. 2013-2017 Vulvar and Vaginal Cancer
Mortality Rates by Race and Ethnicity
1.2
1.0
All Races and Non-Hispanic Non-Hispanic Hispanics
Ethnicities Whites Blacks
■ Females
From 2003 to 20 1 7, Vaginal and Vulvar cancer mortality
rates have been stable for white and minority females
(Figure 7).
Figure 7. 2003-2017 Vulvar and Vaginal
Cancer Mortality Trends by Race
—♦—White —«—Minority
Data Sources and Methods
Data on North Carolina cases were obtained from the North Carolina Central Cancer Registry (CCR). Hospitals are the primary
source of data. The CCR supplements hospital data with reports from physicians who diagnose cases in a non-hospital setting. The
CCR also collects data from pathology laboratories and freestanding treatment centers. Data on cancer deaths were obtained from
Statistical Services in the State Center for Health Statistics. Population data from the National Center for Health Statistics were
used in the denominators of the rates, which are expressed per 100,000 people. Rates were age-adjusted using the 2000 United
States Census data. To examine trends, three- year overlapping rates were used to improve stability over time. Stage at diagnosis
was defined according to Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Summary Stage guidelines as in situ, localized, regional,
distant, and unknown/NA. For further information about the North Carolina CCR, visit www.schs.state.nc.us/units/ccr/.
* According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), “many cancer registries, such as NCI’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER), use summary
staging. This system is used for all types of cancer. It groups cancer cases into five main categories: In situ Abnormal cells arc present only in the layer of cells in
which they developed. Localized -Cancer is limited to the organ in which it began, without evidence of spread. Regional Cancer has spread beyond the primary
site to nearby lymph nodes or organs and tissues. Distant — Cancer has spread from die primary site to distant organs or distant lymph nodes. Unknown —There is not
enough information to determine die stage." Additional information on staging can be found at https://www.canccr.gov/about-canccr/diagnosis-staging/staging.