D.A. Korotin1, V.N. Zhurman2, 3, L.S. Matyushkina1
1LCC «Primamed+», Vladivostok
2Primorsky Regional Oncological Dispensary, Vladivostok
3Pacific State Medical University, Vladivostok
Korotin D.A. — Oncologist, Primamed+ LLC
103 Centenary Avenue, Vladivostok 690000, Russian Federation, tel.: +7-904-629-48-66, e-mail: korotind@mail.ru, ORCID ID: 0009-0005-0082-2594
Absrtact. Vulvar leukoplakia can be considered a pathological condition of the vulvar skin and a predictor of its degeneration into a malignant tumor. Due to the rarity of both leukoplakia and vulvar cancer, there is insufficient information in clinical practice about the pathogenesis of these diseases, especially in terms of immune response to their development. This, in turn, complicates the search for therapeutic treatment strategies based on the inhibition of immune checkpoints and biologically personalized methods.
The purpose is to update information on the immunological theories of leukoplakia and vulvar cancer etiology.
Material and methods. The research materials were modern scientific publications on the topic. The research methods include the analytical method and data systematization. The depth of the literature study was 25 years (from 2000 to 2025), with an emphasis on more recent sources; a total of 43 sources were studied.
Results. The paper presents the most relevant studies of the immunological response to leukoplakia and vulvar cancer.
Conclusion. It is noted that the immunological theory of vulvar cancer is underdeveloped, while the state of the immune system affects the disease course. In vulvar diseases, there is a decreased response to specific and non-specific mitogens, a change in the response of lymphocytes to immunomodulators, and a decreased natural resistance of natural killer activity. Vulvar cancer is characterized by quantitative and qualitative immunodeficiency, the degree of which has specific characteristics for each stage of the disease. Based on this, it should be noted that the immunopathogenesis of leukoplakia and vulvar cancer is a field that needs to be studied. Immunotherapy can be a promising treatment method, while the effect of this therapy on squamous cell carcinoma and vulvar melanoma was studied in small fragmentary works.
Key words: vulva, leukoplakia, vulvar cancer, immunopathogenesis