Vaginal cancer is a very rare cancer of the female reproductive organs. In Poland, there are about 80 cases of this cancer annually. Vaginal cancer mainly affects women between 45 and 65 years of age. This cancer may also appear at an earlier age, due to the increasing frequency of HPV infections among young women. Vaginal cancer risk factors may include previous cancers of the reproductive organs. How is vaginal cancer treated?
Contents:
- Vaginal cancer - symptoms
- Vaginal cancer diagnosis
- Vaginal cancer - treatment
- Vaginal cancer - prognosis
Vaginal cancercan be primary and secondary. It arises as a result of the spread of the neoplastic process through continuity, e.g. from the cervix or as metastases from distant organs, most often from the stomach and nipple.
Vaginal cancer is the most common squamous cell carcinoma, melanomas and sarcomas are less common.
The tumor is most often located on the posterior wall of the vagina in the upper segment.
The precancerous conditions that can develop into cancer include hypertrophic keratosis. These are white, well-defined spots on the vaginal mucosa that can be seen during a gynecological examination.
Vaginal cancer risk factors include
- history of sexually transmitted diseases
- chronic inflammation and prolapse of the pelvic organs
- irradiation of the pelvic area
- previous hysterectomy due to cervical cancer (as many as 30% of women with vaginal cancer report a history of cervical cancer in the last 5 years)
- HPV oncogenic type infection
Due to the fact that HPV infection can be a direct cause of developing both cervical and vaginal cancer, it is also necessary to mention the risk factors of infection with this virus, which include the young age of sexual initiation, a large number of partners , Risky sexual behavior, weakened immunity, male gender and smoking.
The most effective method of preventing HPV infection is the use of HPV vaccines, which are most effective in girls prior to sexual initiation.
Such vaccination protects against all oncogenic types of virus, i.e.those that can potentially cause neoplastic changes, and thus prevent the occurrence of cervical and vaginal cancer.
Vaginal cancer - symptoms
Vaginal cancer usually shows symptoms early, they are uncharacteristic, but they can disturb the woman and are usually difficult to overlook. Symptoms of vaginal cancer include:
- spotting
- vaginal bleeding
- pain during intercourse
- pain while urinating
- purulent vaginal discharge with an unpleasant odor
- bleeding after intercourse
- urge to urinate
In the event of such symptoms, you should immediately see a gynecologist.
Vaginal cancer is often metastatic cancer from other organs of the reproductive system, therefore any disturbing symptom should be reported to a doctor.
Vaginal cancer diagnosis
Regular gynecological examinations are essential for the prevention and diagnosis of vaginal cancer. A diagnosis of vaginal cancer can only be made when the tumor is confined to the vagina, as over 80% of cases of this cancer are metastatic from other organs.
The initial stages of diagnosis include a complete gynecological examination and cytology, and in the case of cytological changes, also colposcopy. The next diagnostic stage is taking a tumor specimen and its histopathological evaluation.
If the tumor is located in 1/3 of the upper vagina, a sample should also be taken from the vaginal part of the uterus to exclude the presence of a primary neoplastic lesion in the cervix.
Curettage of the uterine cavity and microscopic examination is also often necessary in order to exclude the presence of neoplasm in the uterine cavity.
The diagnosis is made on the basis of the histopathological examination of the material collected during the tumor biopsy.
The next element of diagnostics is the assessment of the degree of infiltration of adjacent tissues and the presence of metastases in distant organs. For this purpose:
- Chest X-ray
- transvaginal ultrasound
- cystoscopy
- rektosigmoidoscopy
The most valuable test in assessing the degree of infiltration of adjacent organs is MRI of the smaller pelvis. It allows you to assess the condition of the lymph nodes and surrounding tissues, which allows you to determine the stage of the cancer.
Vaginal cancer - treatment
The basis of vaginal cancer treatment is radiotherapy, in the case of early-stage lesions, surgery is possible.
The use of surgical treatment is possible in the case of a convenient location and small tumor size.
Most often, only precancerous conditions and early stage cancers are eligible for surgery.
Surgical treatment requires, depending on the patient's clinical condition and the type of cancer, complete removal of the vagina with lymph nodes or complete hysterectomy, i.e. removal of the uterus with appendages.
For more advanced vaginal cancer, radiation therapy is used, a procedure that uses high energy radiation to destroy cancer cells.
Chemotherapy is used alone or in combination with radiotherapy if vaginal cancer is chemotherapy sensitive - mainly sarcoma-type cancers, as well as in highly advanced cancers not eligible for other treatment. In this case, chemotherapy is aimed at improving the quality of life and minimizing the annoying symptoms of cancer.
Vaginal cancer - prognosis
In the early stage of the disease, the cure rate for vaginal cancer is 80%. In the case of more advanced tumors infiltrating adjacent tissues, the prognosis is worse, 5-year survival is achieved by 30-60% of patients. The most unfavorable prognostic is the occurrence of metastases in distant organs.
Vaginal cancer has a tendency to recur, especially within 2 years after the end of treatment, therefore frequent check-ups are essential. It is recommended to perform a complete gynecological examination with cytology every 3-6 months during the first 5 years after the end of treatment, and then once a year.
Vaginal cancer is a cancer that can be prevented through regular gynecological examinations, vaccination against HPV, and by avoiding behaviors that may lead to infection with this virus.
In the event of any disturbing symptoms from the reproductive system, you should immediately visit a gynecologist, the visit can be made without a referral from a family doctor, and early diagnosis allows for quick recovery.
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