Vaginal cancer begins in the vagina, also known as the birth canal. All women are at risk for developing this cancer, although it is one of the rarest cancers, accounting for only 1 to 2 percent of all gynecologic cancers in 2006, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As the Mayo Clinic explains, the cause of this cancer is not clear, as is the case with most cancers. However, certain risk factors are definitively known.
Age
More than one type of vaginal cancer exists, the most common being squamous cell. These cells line the surface of the vagina, and 85 to 90 percent of vaginal cancers begin here, according to the Mayo Clinic. The Mayo Clinic goes on to state that most women who receive a diagnosis of vaginal cancer are over the age of 60.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) concurs, adding that squamous cell cancer often occurs in older women, with only 15 percent of cases occurring in women younger than 40. Nearly half of the cases are found in women age 70 or older.
Diethylstilbestrol (DES)
Diethylstilbestrol (DES) is a drug that was given to women between the years of 1940 and 1971 to prevent a miscarriage from occurring during the early stages of pregnancy. Women whose mothers took this drug face a greater risk of developing clear cell adenocarcinoma of the vagina or cervix, although this cancer occurs more frequently in the cervix, according to the ACS. Approximately one in every 1,000 women exposed to this drug in utero develop this cancer, meaning that 99.9 percent do not.
Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted virus that can increase a woman's chances of developing various cancers, including cancer of the vagina. The ACS states that up to 90 percent of vaginal cancers and precancers contain this virus, which has different types; types 16 and 18 are the two most commonly associated with vaginal cancer. HPV is very common in the U.S. population, and it is often present for years without causing symptoms.
Cervical Cancers
A personal history of gynecologic cancers such as cervical cancer increases a woman's risk for developing vaginal squamous cell cancer. This may be due to the similar risk factors that cervical and vaginal cancer share, such as HPV infection.
Smoking
Smoking cigarettes increases the risk of a number of cancers. For women, it fully doubles the risk of vaginal cancer occurring, according to the ACS.
