Hi all;
hope you’re doing good
I’ve been suffering from a nerve like pain in my clitoris for a couple of years but it’s been a year that I developed inflamed and itchy clit area. So after seeing my GP and being referred to a gynaecologist, my doctor suggested that I have VIN stage 2-3.
I had no idea what this is even though my doctor had fully explained this, but now that I’m looking into internet and different forums, I’m actually starting to freak out.
My affected skin area is not too big at the moment and my doc suggested to keep an eye on it and go back to see him in 6 months time.
but I’m so worried and don’t know what to do and how to react now.
I really appreciate your advice or if anyone can suggest if I need to wait or should go back to my doctor?
I’m so scared of this developing to cancer a lot quicker than what I read online.
thank you xx
Hi AprilRose and welcome to the community and the group.
I‘m sorry to read of your concerns, but may I ask a couple of questions please? You mention your gp and a referral to a gynaecologist- can you just confirm who is it that has suggested VIN2,3 and suggested that you go back to your doctor in six months? Is it your gp or a gynaecologist? Who are you to go back to?
Was the VIN and level decided on via a biopsy? The reason I ask is that a biopsy is usually needed as part of the diagnostic process, but you haven’t mentioned this.
If you could give a little bit more information it will be easier to help support you. You are correct of course that VIN is not cancer, but I can understand your worries about the potential of this turning cancerous in the future.
If you could post some more details, the ladies in the group will I’m sure be happy to advise based on their experiences.
Sarah xx
Hi AprilRose
Thank you for confirming this. Personally, I would be uncomfortable with an assumption being made without a biopsy being done and a tissue sample being analysed in the lab. That would give a more definitive answer and would be very typical.
I appreciate that gynaecologists might be able to make an educated judgement on what this is, but without a biopsy they cannot be absolutely certain.
How you proceed will depend a lot on how you are feeling about this yourself, and the six month wait. Could you cope with the anxiety and worry?
I hope that some of the other ladies who have been through VIN will come along and add to this but I think you would be entitled to ask your gynaecologist why no biopsy was done. It’s a very simple procedure to take tiny samples from the area, so it is surprising a diagnosis has been suggested without this. Assumption wouldn’t be good enough for me personally, no matter how experienced the gynaecologist was!
Sarah xx
Oh, I can understand now why things are extra difficult-thank you for explaining. I suspect that your consultant is trying to avoid a potentially painful procedure which might not yield a big enough sample to biopsy.
I think the waiting will be very difficult to handle due to worrying that things may get worse, but it sounds like your consultant has suggested that will be the best course of action in your case. 5mm is really a very small area, and perhaps your consultant could put your mind at rest by explaining more fully what he would expect, in his experience, to happen if you wait?
It might be helpful for you to call and just get some reassurance that he doesn’t consider that waiting will be harmful for you? If, in his professional opinion, the area is too small and difficult to biopsy, then it seems that it might not be useful to attempt it-if any sample is too small then it won’t be able to be successfully analysed in the lab and then you will have undergone the procedure for no reason.
Try not to read online about this-everyone is unique and it can increase your anxiety to have extra worry about the potential of this area becoming cancerous. Six months seems like a long time, but generally is not in the timing of cell changes which become cancerous.
Sarah xx
