- Vaginal Cancer is an uncommon cancer and typically develops in older women.
- Depending on the type, vaginal cancer may begin on the surface of the vaginal lining and if untreated, it continues to grow and invades surrounding tissue. Eventually, it may enter blood and lymphatic vessels, then spread to other parts of the body.
Signs and Symptoms
- Bleeding after menopause and after sexual intercourse.
- Vaginal discharge that smells or is blood stained.
- Vaginal itch.
- Pain during sexual intercourse.
- Sores may form on the lining and a watery discharge from
Risk Factors
- Women who have had genital warts caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV)may have a slightly higher risk of developing vaginal cancer.
- Repeated pregnancies.
- History of herpes virus and sexually transmitted diseases.
- Maternal ingestion of diethylstilbestrol (DES).
Diagnosis
- Routine Pelvic examination
- Papanicolaou (Pap) test
- Colposcope which doctors use an instrument with a binocular magnifying lens to examine the vagina.
- Biopsy, Endoscopy, CT to determine the spread of the cancer.
Treatment
- Treatment depends on the stage. Surgery to remove the vagina, uterus, and lymph nodes in the pelvis and the upper part of the vagina is the treatment of choice.
- Radiation therapy is used for most other cancers. It is usually a combination of internal (using radioactive implants placed inside the vagina) and external (directed at the pelvis from outside the body) radiation therapy.
Pictures of Vaginal Cancer
References:
http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/womens_health_issues/cancers_of_the_female_reproductive_system/vaginal_cancer.html
http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-help/type/vaginal-cancer/
http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/Cancertypes/Vagina/Vaginalcancer.aspx
http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/womens_health_issues/cancers_of_the_female_reproductive_system/vaginal_cancer.html
http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-help/type/vaginal-cancer/
http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/Cancertypes/Vagina/Vaginalcancer.aspx