slow DELETE queries - Mailing list pgsql-sql

I am having considerable trouble with phpBB 2.0.1, a forum application 
(http://www.phpbb.com) on PostgreSQL 7.1.3.. 

There are some huge slowdowns in operation when moderating the board.
I have searched their bugsbase, and tried the supportforum, without much luck.
Normal VACUUM schedule 

I traced the queries slowing it all down to this snippet in the debug log:
---------
Jun 20 15:03:45 ps2 postgres[18531]: [9-1] DEBUG:  query: 
DELETE FROM phpbb_search_wordlist WHERE word_id IN (
SELECT word_id FROM phpbb_search_wordmatch WHERE word_id IN (
SELECT word_id FROM phpbb_search_wordmatch WHERE post_id IN (70535) 
GROUP BY word_id) GROUP BY word_id HAVING COUNT(word_id) = 1)
---------

An EXPLAIN turns out this :

=>EXPLAIN DELETE FROM phpbb_search_wordlist WHERE word_id IN (
SELECT word_id FROM phpbb_search_wordmatch WHERE word_id IN (
SELECT word_id FROM phpbb_search_wordmatch WHERE post_id IN (70535) 
GROUP BY word_id) GROUP BY word_id HAVING COUNT(word_id) = 1);
NOTICE:  QUERY PLAN:

Seq Scan on phpbb_search_wordlist  (cost=0.00..17254458491840534.00 rows=116750 width=6)
SubPlan
->  Materialize  (cost=147789794362.64..147789794362.64 rows=283528 width=4)->  Aggregate  (cost=0.00..147789794362.64
rows=283528width=4) ->  Group  (cost=0.00..147789787274.45 rows=2835277 width=4)  ->  Index Scan using
word_id_phpbb_search_wordmatchon phpbb_search_wordmatch  (cost=0.00..147789780186.26 rows=2835277 width=4)SubPlan   ->
Materialize (cost=52125.21..52125.21 rows=14 width=4)    ->  Group  (cost=52124.86..52125.21 rows=14 width=4)     ->
Sort (cost=52124.86..52124.86 rows=138 width=4)      ->  Seq Scan on phpbb_search_wordmatch  (cost=0.00..52119.96
rows=138width=4)
 

EXPLAIN

I figured maybe the schema is not properly set up with indexes, so I tried some descriptions : 

=> \d phpbb_search_wordlist                                   Table "phpbb_search_wordlist" Attribute  |         Type
      |                            Modifier
 
-------------+-----------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------word_id     |
integer              | not null default nextval('phpbb_search_wordlist_id_seq'::text)word_text   | character
varying(50)| not null default ''word_common | smallint              | not null default '0'
 
Indices: phpbb_search_wordlist_pkey,        word_id_phpbb_search_wordlist

=>\d phpbb_search_wordmatch       Table "phpbb_search_wordmatch" Attribute  |   Type   |       Modifier
-------------+----------+----------------------post_id     | integer  | not null default '0'word_id     | integer  |
notnull default '0'title_match | smallint | not null default '0'
 
Index: word_id_phpbb_search_wordmatch

The indexes are like this :

=> \d phpbb_search_wordlist_pkey
Index "phpbb_search_wordlist_pkey"Attribute |         Type
-----------+-----------------------word_text | character varying(50)
unique btree (primary key)

=> \d word_id_phpbb_search_wordlist
Index "word_id_phpbb_search_wordlist"Attribute |  Type
-----------+---------word_id   | integer
btree

=> \d word_id_phpbb_search_wordmatch
Index "word_id_phpbb_search_wordmatch"Attribute |  Type
-----------+---------word_id   | integer
btree


I have been trying to read up on indexes and performance, also earlier, but
here I am on shaky ice(?). I am not sure how to enhance the performance here,
and the schema does indeed look sane to me. Might of course be lack of 
knowledge in SQL performance issues ! :-)

Anyone who can see what could be improved here, either in the queries or 
in the schema ? 

Any help highly appreciated, I will of course continue asking the phpBB people,
but to them postgresql support is very new, and I figure any SQL expertise 
would help us both out ! :)
-- 
Denis Braekhus - ABC Startsiden AS
http://www.startsiden.no