women s health issues
Vaginal Cancer
Introduction
Cancer of the vagina, an uncommon cancer, usually develops in the cells lining the vagina, typically in women over 60 years old. Vaginal cancer may cause abnormal vaginal bleeding, particularly after sexual intercourse or in postmenopausal women. If doctors suspect cancer, they remove and examine samples of tissue from the vagina (biopsy). The cancer is surgically removed, or radiation therapy is used. (See also Overview of Female Reproductive System Cancers .) In the United States, vaginal cancer accounts for approximately 1 to 2% of gynecologic cancers. The average age at diagnosis is 60 to 65 years. Most vaginal cancers are caused by persistent Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Infection , the same virus that causes genital warts and cervical cancer. Having precancerous changes in the cervix or vulva, More than 95% of vaginal cancers are Squamous Cell Carcinoma (carcinomas), which develop in the flat, skinlike cells that form the surface of vaginal lining. Most other vaginal cancers are adenocarcinomas, which develop from gland cells. One rare type, clear cell adenocarcinoma, occurs almost exclusively in women whose mothers took the medication diethylstilbestrol (DES), prescribed to prevent miscarriage during pregnancy. (In 1971, the medication was banned in the United States.) If untreated, vaginal cancer continues to grow and invades surrounding tissue. Eventually, it may enter blood and lymphatic vessels, then spread to the bladder, rectum, nearby lymph nodes, and other parts of the body. 