In a study of 73 patients, diagnosed with recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva between 1975 and 1990, the effect of clinical variables on the outcome was evaluated. The overall 5-year survival rate was 35.2%. Of the 73 patients, 33 (45.2%) originally had Stage I or II disease and 40 (54.8%) Stage III or IVA; 49 (67.1%) recurred less than 2 years and 24 (32.9%) more than 2 years after initial surgery; and 39 (53.4%) recurred on the vulva only, while 34 (46.6%) recurred beyond the vulva. Of 59 patients who had groin lymph node dissection at initial surgery, 26 (44%) had negative and 33 (56%) had positive nodes. By means of univariate analyses, a significant worsening in outcome was demonstrated with advancing original stage of disease (P < 0.001), positivity of groin lymph nodes (P < 0.01), shortening of recurrence-free interval (P < 0.001), and extension of recurrence beyond the vulva (P < 0.001). In a multivariate analysis (Cox proportional hazards model) recurrence site was the strongest and the only significant predictor of survival. The death risk showed a 3.7-fold increase (95% confidence intervals: 1.6 to 8.7, P = 0.002) for recurrence beyond the vulva over recurrence on the vulva only. For patients who recurred in the vulva only, wide radical local excision provided acceptable survival results, while for all other patients, regardless of type of treatment, the outcome was poor.