Vaginal cancer is any type of cancer that forms in the tissues of the vagina.
Vaginal cancer is not common. It occurs primarily in women over age 50, but can occur at any age, even in infancy. When found and treated in early stages it often can be cured.
There are two primary types of vaginal cancer: squamous cell
carcinoma and adenocarcinoma.
- Vaginal squamous cell carcinoma arises from the thin, flat
squamous cells that line the vagina. This is the most common type of
vaginal cancer. It is found most often in women aged 60 or older.
- Vaginal adenocarcinoma arises from the glandular
(secretory) cells in the lining of the vagina that produce some vaginal
fluids. Adenocarcinoma is more likely than squamous cell cancer to
spread to the lungs and lymph nodes. It is found most often in women
aged 30 or younger. It is also found in a small percent of women born
between 1938 and 1971 that were exposed to the drug diethylstilbestrol
(DES). DES was prescribed to 5 to 10 million mothers in that timespan to
prevent possible miscarriages and premature birth. Typically, patients
present with adenocarcinoma before age 30, but increasing evidence
indicates effects in later years as well. DES-exposed patients may also
suffer various infertility and pregnancy complications as well.
There are also less common forms of vaginal cancer:
- Vaginal germ cell tumors (primarily teratoma and endodermal
sinus tumor) are rare. They are found most often in infants and
children.
- Sarcoma botryoides, a rhabdomyosarcoma also is found most
often in infants and children.
Further Reading
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.
It uses material from the Wikipedia article on
"Vaginal cancer"
All material adapted used from Wikipedia is available under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.
Wikipedia® itself is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.