The vagina, also called the birth canal, is a three- to four-inch tube that goes from the cervix to the vulva, the external female genitals. It is lined with layers of cells, and when cancer forms in these layers, it is called vaginal cancer. It is not a commonly diagnosed cancer, but once an appropriate diagnosis is made, treatment is available. According to the American Cancer Society, the overall five-year survival rate is nearly 50 percent.
Significance
Vaginal cancer is a rare cancer, comprising approximately 1 percent of all gynecological cancers, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). The ACS estimates that in 2009, there were 2,160 new diagnoses of vaginal cancer in the United States, and 770 deaths from this disease that same year.
Risk Factors
There are some risk factors that can increase a woman's risk of getting vaginal cancer. Having one or more of these does not necessarily mean cancer is inevitable; it merely increases the risk of disease. Risk factors for vaginal cancer include age (nearly half of all diagnoses are in women over 70 years old); infection with human papillomavirus, or HPV; smoking cigarettes; and infection with human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV. Women whose mothers took DES, a drug used in the past to decrease miscarriage, are at higher risk of developing this cancer as well.
Types
According to the National Cancer Institute, there are two main types of vaginal cancer. Squamous cell cancer is found in the squamous cells of the vagina, which are the flat cells lining the organ. This is the most common kind of vaginal cancer, and tends to be slower-growing and diagnosed in older women. When it does spread, it typically spreads to the liver and lungs. Adenocarcinoma is found in vaginal secretory cells, the cells in the lining of the vagina that secrete fluids. This type of vaginal cancer is more often diagnosed in women under 30 years old, and is more likely than squamous cell to spread to the lungs and lymph nodes.
Diagnosis
Symptoms of vaginal cancer typically appear as the disease progresses, and can include abnormal vaginal bleeding or discharge, and pain during intercourse. A diagnosis of vaginal cancer may be made after a biopsy of the vaginal walls following a Pap smear indicating abnormal vaginal cells, a CT scan and MRI.
Treatment
Treatment for vaginal cancer depends on the kind of cancer and the stage, or extent of the disease, according to the Mayo Clinic. Because this cancer is so rare, there are no standard treatment guidelines. Surgery may be done to remove the tumor, part or all of the vagina, or numerous pelvic organs the cancer has spread to, like the bladder, uterus, colon and rectum. Radiation therapy, the use of high-energy rays to kill cancer cells, is also used, and can be given externally from a machine, or internally in the form of radioactive pellets or seeds implanted into the cancerous area. Chemotherapy, the use of drugs to kill cancer cells, is also used to treat vaginal cancer.
References
- American Cancer Society: What are the key statistics for vaginal cancer?
- American Cancer Society: What are the risk factors for vaginal cancer?
- National Cancer Institute: Vaginal Cancer Treatment
- American Cancer Society: How is vaginal cancer diagnosed?
- Mayo Clinic: Vaginal Cancer: Treatments and Drugs
