HPV-Associated Vulvar Cancer Rates by Race and Ethnicity

Vulvar cancers are rare. It is estimated that almost 3,100 new cases of HPV-associated vulvar cancer are diagnosed in the United States each year.* More white women get vulvar cancer than women of other races or ethnicities.

*Note: This study used cancer registry data to estimate the amount of potentially HPV-associated cancer in the United States by examining cancer in parts of the body and cancer cell types that are more likely to be caused by HPV. Cancer registries do not collect data on the presence or absence of HPV in cancer tissue at the time of diagnosis. In general, HPV is thought to be responsible for about 40% of vulvar cancers.

HPV-Associated Vulvar Cancer Rates by Race and Ethnicity, United States, 2004–2008

The graph above shows age-adjusted incidence rates for vulvar cancer in the United States during 2004–2008. "AI/AN" means American Indian/Alaska Native, and "A/PI" means Asian/Pacific Islander. The rates shown are the number of women who were diagnosed with vulvar cancer for every 100,000 women. About 1.9 white women, 1.4 black women, 1.1 American Indian/Alaska Native women, and 0.4 Asian/Pacific Islander women were diagnosed with vulvar cancer per 100,000 women. About 1.2 Hispanic women were diagnosed with vulvar cancer per 100,000 women, compared to 1.9 non-Hispanic women.

This graph was adapted from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Human papillomavirus–associated cancers—United States, 2004–2008. MMWR 2012;61(15):258–261.