Gynecologic Cancer

Vaginal Cancer

Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment

Signs and Symptoms

Vaginal cancer is a rare disease and makes up less than 3 percent of all gynecological cancers. There are four different types of vaginal cancer, including:

• Squamous Cell Cancer: The most common type and usually occurs in the upper part of the vagina. It typically affects women between the ages of 50 and 70.
• Adenocarcinoma: The second most common type and usually affects women between the ages of 12 and 30, although it occassionally occurs in women of all age groups.
• Malignant Melanomas Sarcomas: Extremely rare forms of the disease.

It is important to know that even if you have had a hysterectomy, you can still develop vaginal cancer.

Risk Factors

As with many cancers, the exact cause of vaginal cancer is not known for sure. However, some factors may increase a woman's risk for the disease, including:

• Smoking
• Age, women over the age of 50 are most commonly affected by squamous cell vaginal cancer
• History of cervical cancer
• Having had a hysterectomy
• History of genital warts caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV)
• Having had radiation therapy to the pelvic area

In addition, research has shown that young women whose mothers took a drug known as diethylstilbestrol (DES) are at a higher risk for developing the disease. The drug DES was given to pregnant women between 1945 and 1970 to prevent them from having miscarriages.

In some cases, vaginal cancer may not cause any symptoms and is detected by an abnormal Pap smear. However, some common symptoms of the condition include:

• Bleeding or discharge not related to menstrual periods
• Difficult or painful urination
• Pain during intercourse or in the pelvic area

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Medical Center.
Last updated May 8, 2007