Vulvar Cancer Samples for Research

Bay Biosciences provides high-quality, matched fresh frozen sera (serum),  plasma, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) bio-fluids from patients diagnosed with vulvar cancer.

Moreover, the sera (serum), plasma and PBMC bio-fluids are processed from vulvar cancer patient’s peripheral whole-blood using customized collection and processing protocols.

In addition, the matched bio-fluids are collected from unique patients with vulvar cancer and are provided to a valued pharmaceutical customer for research, development and drug discovery.

The Vulva

The vulva is a woman’s external genitalia. It is made up of the skin and fatty tissue that surround the clitoris and the openings of the vagina and urethra. The fatty tissue makes up two folds on each side of the vaginal opening, called the labia majora and labia minora. Cancer of the vulva occurs most often in or on the labia. Less often, it can occur on the clitoris or in glands on the sides of the vaginal opening, called the Bartholin’s glands, which produce a mucus­­-like lubricating fluid.

Vulvar Cancer Overview

Cancer begins when healthy cells change and grow out of control, forming a mass called a tumor. A tumor can be cancerous or benign. A cancerous tumor is malignant, meaning it can grow and spread to other parts of the body. A benign tumor means the tumor can grow but will not spread.

Vulvar cancer is named for the type of tissue where the cancer started. The most common is squamous cell carcinoma. Other, less common vulvar cancers include adenocarcinoma, melanoma, sarcoma, and verrucous carcinoma.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma

  • Squamous cell carcinoma: Squamous cell carcinoma is a type of skin cancer that accounts for about 90% of vulvar cancers, most of which are found on the labia. Squamous cancer can develop through a “precancerous” condition, which is when changes in cells may, but do not always, become cancer. This is called vulva intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN). VIN is a premalignant growth of cells on the vulva and is treated differently from invasive cancer. Premalignant means that it is not yet cancer. 

Adenocarcinoma

  • Adenocarcinoma: Adenocarcinoma starts in the Bartholin’s glands or vulvar sweat glands. This type of cancer accounts for a small percentage of vulvar cancer. It is usually found on the sides of the vaginal opening.

Melanoma

  • Melanoma: Melanoma is another type of skin cancer that accounts for about 2% to 4% of vulvar cancer. Melanomas are usually found on skin in parts of the body commonly exposed to the sun, but occasionally it can develop where there is no sun exposure. When it develops in the vulva, it occurs most often on the clitoris or the labia minora. Women with melanoma on other parts of their body have an increased risk of developing vulvar melanoma. Vulvar melanoma is often treated using similar approaches for the treatment of melanoma in other parts of the body.

Sarcoma

  • Sarcoma: Sarcoma is a tumor of the connective tissue beneath the skin.

Verrucous Carcinoma

  • Verrucous carcinoma: This is a slow-growing subtype of squamous cell carcinoma that looks like a wart.

Signs and Symptoms of Vulvar Cancer

Women with vulvar cancer may experience the following signa and symptoms. Sometimes, women with vulvar cancer do not have any of these changes. Or, the cause of a symptom may be a different medical condition that is not cancer.

  • A lump or growth in or on the vulvar area or groin (enlarged lymph node)
  • A patch of skin that is differently textured or colored than the rest of the vulvar area
  • Persistent itching, pain, soreness, or burning in the vulvar area
  • Painful urination
  • Bleeding or discharge that is not menstrual blood
  • An ulcer that persists for more than one month
  • A change in the appearance of an existing mole (this symptom is for vulvar melanoma specifically)
  • Wart-like growths that are similar to genital warts

Risk Factors of Vulvar Cancer

Following are the risk factors which may increase a woman’s risk of developing vulvar cancer:

  • HPV: Research indicates that infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) is a risk factor for vulvar cancer. Human papillomavirus (HPV) may be responsible for about one-third to two-thirds of all vulvar cancers. Sexual activity with someone who has human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common way someone gets human papillomavirus (HPV). There are different types of human papillomavirus (HPV), called strains. Research links some human papillomavirus (HPV) strains more strongly with certain types of cancers. Many types of cancer caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) are associated with precancerous conditions, which are changes in cells that may, but do not always, become cancer. There are vaccines available to protect you from some human papillomavirus (HPV) strains.
  • Smoking: Smoking tobacco may increase a woman’s risk of developing vulvar cancer.
  • Age: Most women diagnosed with vulvar cancer are older than 50. Only a small percentage of invasive vulvar cancer occurs in women younger than 40.
  • Immune system deficiency: Women with lowered immune systems have a higher risk of developing vulvar cancer. A lowered immune system can result from immune suppression caused by corticosteroid medications, organ transplantation, treatment for other types of cancer, or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). When a person has a lowered immune system, their body is more likely to develop infections, including an human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.
  • Precancerous conditions: Precancerous conditions of the vulva can increase a woman’s risk of developing vulvar cancer. These include vulva intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN), Paget’s disease, cervical cancer, vaginal cancer, or melanoma elsewhere on the body.
  • Lichen sclerosus. This condition affects the vulvar skin, making it thin and itchy. About 4% of women with lichen sclerosus develop vulvar cancer.

Diagnosis of Vulvar Cancer

A physical examination, including a pelvic exam, is the first step in diagnosing vulvar cancer. In this examination, the doctor inspects the vulva and then feels the uterus, vagina, ovaries, bladder, and rectum to check for any unusual changes or growths.

In addition to a physical examination, doctors may use the following tests to diagnose vulvar cancer:

Biopsy

  • First, Biopsy: A biopsy is the removal of a small amount of tissue for examination under a microscope. Other tests can suggest that cancer is present, but only a biopsy can make a definite diagnosis. The sample removed during the biopsy is analyzed by a pathologist. A pathologist is a doctor who specializes in interpreting laboratory tests and evaluating cells, tissues, and organs to diagnose disease. The type of biopsy performed will depend on the location of the suspicious tissue. If the biopsy shows invasive vulvar cancer, the doctor will refer the woman to a gynecologic oncologist, who specializes in treating this type of cancer.

Colonoscopy

  • Second, Colposcopy: The doctor may do a colonoscopy to check the vagina, vulva, and cervix for any abnormalities, especially when Pap or HPV tests return abnormal results. A colposcope is a special instrument, similar to a microscope, that magnifies the surface of the cervix, vagina, and vulva. The colposcope gives the doctor a lighted, magnified view of these areas. The doctor does not insert the colposcope into the woman’s body. The examination is not painful, can take place in the doctor’s office, and has no side effects. This examination can also be performed on pregnant women.

Chest X-Ray

  • Third, Chest x-ray: An x-ray is a way to create a picture of the structures inside of the body using a small amount of radiation. Doctors would use a chest x-ray to see if cancer has spread to the lungs.

CAT Scan

  • Moreover, Computed tomography (CT or CAT) scan: A CT scan takes pictures of the inside of the body using x-rays taken from different angles. A computer combines these pictures into a detailed, 3-dimensional image that shows any abnormalities or tumors. A CT scan can measure the tumor’s size. Sometimes, a medical professional administers a special dye called a contrast medium before the scan to provide better detail on the image. This dye can enter a patient’s vein through injection or a patient can take it by mouth and swallow it, usually as a liquid.

PET Scan

  • Furthermore, Positron emission tomography (PET) or PET-CT scan: A PET scan is usually combined with a CT scan, called a PET-CT scan.  A PET scan is a way to create pictures of organs and tissues inside the body. A medical professional injects a small amount of a radioactive sugar substance into the patient’s body. Cells that use the most energy take up this sugar substance. Because cancer tends to use energy actively, it absorbs more of the radioactive substance. A scanner then detects this substance to produce images of the inside of the body.

MRI

  • Next, Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): An MRI uses magnetic fields, not x-rays, to produce detailed images of the body. MRI can measure the tumor’s size. A healthcare professional gives a special dye called a contrast medium before the scan to create a clearer picture. A nurse usually injects this dye into a patient’s vein.

Endoscopy

  • Finally, Endoscopy: An endoscopy allows the doctor to see inside the body with a thin, lighted, flexible tube called an endoscope. The medical team may sedate the woman as they insert the tube through the urethra into the bladder, called cystoscopy, or through the anus into the rectum, called proctoscopy or colonoscopy. Sedation is giving medication to become more relaxed, calm, or sleepy.

 

Biospecimens

Bay Biosciences is, indeed a global leader in providing researchers with high quality, clinical grade, fully characterized human tissue samples, bio-specimens, and human bio-fluid collections.

Specifically, aamples available include cancer (tumor) tissue, cancer serum, cancer plasma, cancer, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and human tissue samples from most other therapeutic areas and diseases.

Moreover, Bay Biosciences maintains and manages its own biorepository, the human tissue bank (biobank) consisting of thousands of diseased samples (specimens) and from normal healthy donors available in all formats and types.

In fact, our biobank procures and stores fully consented, de-identified and institutional review boards (IRB) approved human tissue samples and matched controls.

Additionally, all our human tissue collections, human specimens and human bio-fluids are provided with detailed, samples associated patient’s clinical data.

In particular, critical patient’s clinical data includes information relating to their past and current disease, treatment history, lifestyle choices, biomarkers, and genetic information.

Moreover, researchers find patient’s data extremely valuable and use it to help identify new effective treatments (drug discovery & development) in oncology, and other therapeutic areas and diseases.

Specifically, Bay Biosciences banks wide variety of human tissue samples and biological samples, including cryogenically preserved at – 80°C.

For example fresh frozen tissue samples, tumor tissue samples, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE), tissue slides, with matching human bio-fluids, whole blood and blood-derived products such as serum, plasma and PBMC.

Furthermore, Bay Biosciences is a global leader in collecting and providing human tissue samples according to the specified requirements and customized, tailor-made collection protocols.

Therefore, please contact us anytime to discuss your special research projects and customized human tissue sample requirements.

Types of Biospecimens

Bay Biosciences provides human tissue samples (human specimens) from diseased and normal healthy donors which includes:

  • Firstly, Peripheral whole-blood
  • Secondly, Amniotic fluid
  • Third, Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL)
  • Moreover, Sputum
  • Furthermore, Pleural effusion
  • Next, Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
  • Also, Serum (sera)
  • Likewise, Plasma
  • In addition, Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC)
  • For example, Saliva
  • Also, Buffy coat
  • Moreover, Urine
  • Furthermore, stool samples
  • Next, Aqueous humor
  • Likewise, Vitreous humor
  • Lastly, Kidney stones (renal calculi)
  • Finally, Other bodily fluids from most diseases including cancer.

Moreover, we can also procure most human bio-specimens, furthermore; we offer special collections and requests for human samples that are difficult to find. All our human tissue samples are procured through IRB-approved clinical protocols and procedures.

In addition to the standard processing protocols, Bay Biosciences can also provide human plasma, serum, and PBMC bio-fluid samples using custom processing protocols. Additionally you buy donor-specific collections in higher volumes and specified sample aliquots from us.

Furthermore, Bay Biosciences also provides human samples from normal healthy donors; volunteers, for controls and clinical research, contact us Now.

 

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