Bartholin’s Gland cancer (very rare but affects the vulva

Hi Jan A welcome to the group, but sorry you have found yourself here.  The radiotherapy could be making you very sore and dry,  radiotherapy keeps on working for several weeks after the treatment has finished, so may take a while yet. 

Do you have a rinse bottle you can use after you go to the toilet? Rinse yourself rather than wiping, and try and let it dry naturally. Also you can use ice packs, try and keep it cool. Have you spoke to your doctor about how sore you are? 

When I had radiotherapy for Bartholin Gland cancer the pain was likened to 3rd.degree burns. My son-in-law at the time filled condoms with water, which he then froze, and I was then able to put it between bum cheeks and vagina. It did the trick. I have now been diagnosed for the 3rd time, with Bartholin Gland cancer. My first was in 2004 and then 2007 so have had a lapse of 15 years. I have lived in fear all of this time.

Thank you Chelle. My vulva has now improved, but I still have a very sore patch just inside my vagina. My oncologist and gynaecologist both agree that  I am healing very slowly due to skin atrophy, but suggested oestrogen pessaries. They sent my tumour for tests to find if it was oestrogen sensitive as if it was, I shouldn't be treated with oestrogen. Sadly, my tumour was oestrogen sensitive, so I refused this treatment (although my oncologist said I could try it!). I have been on steroid cream, which is slowly working. 

Hi Gillian.

Thank for your reply.

This is very worrying! There have been so few cases of Bartholin's gland cancer and there is very little information about it. My fear is that my cancer will return. My follow ups at oncology are every 3 months, but my oncologist only examines my vulva and vagina. When I was diagnosed with cancer, my only symptoms were a small lump inside my vagina. No pain, no weight loss, I just felt a little tired, but at age 64, I thought it was just because I was getting old!

I had no scans before my surgery, which was to remove a bartholin's cyst and the gland, but when the  surgeon began operating he found a tumour which had spread almost to my rectum and bladder. This was excised, and I had 5 weeks of a high dose of radiotherapy on my pelvis and a lower dose on my lymph nodes. The burns were horrendous and I am still very sore. I had an MRI scan in October, which showed my cancer has been successfully treated. 

If my cancer returns, how will I know? I asked my oncologist if I could have regular MRI scans, maybe every 12 months but she said this won't help (I don't know why?). I am happy to pay for private scans, as I am very frightened in case my cancer returns.

What follow up were you given and what symptoms did you get when your cancer returned? I would love to know what to look out for.