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Vaginal cancer
 
 
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Vaginal cancer is any type of cancer
Cancer

Cancer is a class of diseases in which a group of cell display uncontrolled growth , invasion , and sometimes metastasis . These three malignant properties of cancers differentiate them from benign tumors, which are self-limited, do not invade or metastasize....
 that forms in the tissues of the vagina
Vagina

The vagina is a fibromuscular cylinder tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female placental mammals and marsupials, or to the cloaca in female birds, monotremes, and some reptiles....
. 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 (see cancer staging
Cancer staging

The stage of a cancer is a descriptor of how much the cancer has spread. The stage often takes into account the size of a tumor, how deep it has penetrated, whether it has invaded adjacent organs, how many lymph nodes it has metastasis to , and whether it has spread to distant organs....
), it often can be cured.

Signs and Symptoms The most common sign is abnormal vaginal bleeding, which may be postcoital, intermenstrual, prepubertal, or postmenopausal.






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Encyclopedia


Vaginal cancer is any type of cancer
Cancer

Cancer is a class of diseases in which a group of cell display uncontrolled growth , invasion , and sometimes metastasis . These three malignant properties of cancers differentiate them from benign tumors, which are self-limited, do not invade or metastasize....
 that forms in the tissues of the vagina
Vagina

The vagina is a fibromuscular cylinder tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female placental mammals and marsupials, or to the cloaca in female birds, monotremes, and some reptiles....
. 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 (see cancer staging
Cancer staging

The stage of a cancer is a descriptor of how much the cancer has spread. The stage often takes into account the size of a tumor, how deep it has penetrated, whether it has invaded adjacent organs, how many lymph nodes it has metastasis to , and whether it has spread to distant organs....
), it often can be cured.

Types of vaginal cancer


Types of vaginal cancer, in order of prevalence, include:

  • Vaginal squamous cell carcinoma
    Squamous cell carcinoma

    In medicine, squamous cell carcinoma is a form of cancer of the carcinoma type that may occur in many different organs, including the skin, lips, mouth, esophagus, urinary bladder, prostate, lungs, vagina, and cervix....
     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
    Adenocarcinoma

    Adenocarcinoma is a cancer that originates in glandular tissue. This tissue is also part of a larger tissue category known as epithelial tissue....
     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 lung
    Lung

    The lung is the essential respiration organ in air-breathing animals, including most tetrapods, a few fish and a few snails. In mammals and the more complex life forms, the two lungs are located in the chest on either side of the heart....
    s and lymph node
    Lymph node

    A Lymph node is an organ consisting of many types of cells, and is a part of the lymphatic system. Lymph nodes are found all through the body, and act as filters or traps for foreign particles....
    s. It is found most often in women aged 30 or younger, and has been found in a small percent of women whose mothers in the 1950s used diethylstilbestrol
    Diethylstilbestrol

    Diethylstilbestrol is a Pharmacology, an orally active synthetic nonsteroidal estrogen that was first synthesized in 1938. In 1971 it was found to be a teratogen when given to pregnant women....
     to prevent threatened abortions.


  • Vaginal germ cell tumor
    Germ cell tumor

    A germ cell tumor is a neoplasm derived from germ cells. Germ cells normally occur inside the gonads . Germ cell tumors that originate outside the gonads may be birth defects resulting from errors during development of the embryo....
    s (primarily teratoma
    Teratoma

    A teratoma is a kind of tumor . Definitive diagnosis of a teratoma is based on its histology: a teratoma is a tumor with biological tissue or organ components resembling normal derivatives of all three germ layers....
     and endodermal sinus tumor
    Endodermal sinus tumor

    Endodermal sinus tumor , also known as yolk sac tumor , is a member of the germ cell tumor group of cancers. It is the most common testicular tumor in children under 3, and is also known as infantile embryonal carcinoma....
    ) are rare. They are found most often in infants and children.


  • Sarcoma botryoides
    Sarcoma botryoides

    Sarcoma botryoides or botryoid rhabdomyosarcoma is a subtype of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma, that can be observed in the urinary bladder of infants and young children or the vagina in females, typically younger than age 8....
    , a rhabdomyosarcoma
    Rhabdomyosarcoma

    A rhabdomyosarcoma is a type of cancer, specifically a sarcoma , in which the cancer cells are thought to arise from skeletal muscle progenitors....
     also is found most often in infants and children.


Signs and Symptoms

The most common sign is abnormal vaginal bleeding, which may be postcoital, intermenstrual, prepubertal, or postmenopausal. Other, less specific signs include difficult or painful urination, pain during intercourse, and pain in the pelvic area.

Diagnosis


Several tests are used to diagnose vaginal cancer, including:

  • Physical exam and history
  • Pelvic exam
  • Pap smear
    Pap smear

    The Papanicolaou test is a Screening used in gynecology to detect premalignant and malignant processes in the ectocervix. Significant changes can be treated, thus preventing cervical cancer....
  • Biopsy
  • Colposcopy
    Colposcopy

    Not to be confused with colonoscopy.Colposcopy is a medical diagnosis procedure to examine an illuminated, magnified view of the cervix and the tissues of the vagina and vulva....


See also

  • Cervical cancer
    Cervical cancer

    Cervical cancer is malignant cancer of the cervix uteri or cervical area. It may present with vaginal bleeding but symptoms may be absent until the cancer is in its advanced stages....


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