Vulvar Paget's Disease: A Systematic Review of the MITO Rare Cancer Group

Simple Summary Vulvar Paget's disease (VPD) is an extremely rare malignancy of the vulva with a high local recurrence rate and low mortality. Due to its non-specific symptoms and lack of clinical knowledge, VPD is often misdiagnosed with eczematous skin lesions, and the definitive diagnosis is often delayed. Since currently there is no global consensus on the optimal management of VPD, we present here a systematic review aiming to give readers a concise overview of the state-of-the-art evidence and the emerging therapeutic opportunities. Vulvar Paget's disease (VPD) is a rare form of cutaneous adenocarcinoma of the vulva, which accounts for about 1-2% of all vulvar neoplasms and mainly affects post-menopausal women. The clinical presentation is usually non-specific and mimics chronic erythematous skin lesions; therefore, the diagnosis is often difficult and delayed. Although VPD is typically diagnosed at a locally advanced stage and has a high recurrence rate, the prognosis is overall favorable with a 5-year survival of nearly 90%. Due to the limited and poor-quality evidence, there is no global consensus on optimal management. Therefore, we performed a systematic review of the literature through the main electronic databases to deepen the current knowledge of this rare disease and discuss the available treatment strategies. Wide surgical excision is recommended as the standard-of-care treatment and should be tailored to the tumor position/extension and the patient's performance status. The goal is to completely remove the tumor and achieve clear margins, thus reducing the rate of local recurrences. Non-surgical treatments, such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and topical approaches, can be considered, especially in the case of unresectable and recurrent disease. In the absence of clear recommendations, the decision-making process should be individualized, also considering the new emerging molecular targets, such as HER2 and PD-L1, which might pave the way for future targeted therapies. The current review aims to raise awareness of this rare disease and encourage international collaboration to collect larger-scale, high-quality evidence and standardize treatment.

Automated summary

Vulvar Paget's disease (VPD) is a rare form of cutaneous adenocarcinoma of the vulva, often misdiagnosed due to non-specific symptoms. This systematic review aims to provide a concise overview of the current evidence and emerging therapeutic opportunities for VPD.