Vaginal cancer
| Vaginal cancer | |
|---|---|
| Classification and external resources | |
| Specialty | Oncology |
| ICD-10 | C52 |
| ICD-9-CM | 184.0 |
| DiseasesDB | 13693 |
| MedlinePlus | 001510 |
| eMedicine | med/3330 |
| MeSH | D014625 |
Vaginal cancer is any type of cancer that forms in the tissues of the vagina. Primary vaginal cancer is rare in the general population of women and is usually a squamous-cell carcinoma. Metastases are more common. Vaginal cancer occurs more often in women over age 50, but can occur at any age, even in infancy. It often can be cured if found and treated in early stages. Surgery alone or surgery combined with pelvic radiation is typically used to treat vaginal cancer.
There are two primary types of vaginal cancer: squamous-cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma.
There are also less common forms of vaginal cancer:
Stage 1 vaginal cancer
Stage 2 vaginal cancer
Stage 3 vaginal cancer
Stage 4A vaginal cancer
Stage 4B vaginal cancer
Often, there are no symptoms, and the cancer is found through a routine gynecologic exam. If there are symptoms, they are commonly abnormal vaginal bleeding, which may be post-coital, intermenstrual, prepubertal, or postmenopausal. Other, less specific signs include difficult or painful urination, pain during intercourse, and pain in the pelvic area. Women who suspect exposure to DES should undergo a more extensive gynecological exam on a regular basis because the normal exam procedure does not closely examine the areas of the vagina usually obscured by the speculum in standard gynecological exams.
Several tests are used to diagnose vaginal cancer, including:
Women with vaginal cancer should not have routine surveillance imaging to monitor the cancer unless they have new symptoms or rising tumor markers. Imaging without these indications is discouraged because it is unlikely to detect a recurrence or improve survival, and because it has its own costs and side effects.
Surgery is the typical treatment for vaginal cancer.
Vaginal cancer accounts for less than 1% of cancer cases and deaths in the UK. Around 260 women were diagnosed with the disease in 2011, and 110 women died in 2012.
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