Vaginal Cancer: What You Need to Know About Symptoms, Causes, and Care

Hearing about rare health conditions can feel overwhelming and scary. When you hear about a condition like vaginal cancer, it is normal to feel worried or confused. The good news is that taking time to learn the facts can help you feel much more prepared and confident about your health.

You do not need a medical degree to understand how your body works. This guide is written in plain, easy-to-read English to walk you through everything you need to know. We will break down what this condition is, who is most at risk, and what warning signs to watch out for.

Let's explore this topic together in a calm, supportive way. Knowledge is your best tool for staying healthy and catching any issues early.

What Is Vaginal Cancer?

Simply put, vaginal cancer is a disease where abnormal cells start to grow in your vagina. You likely know that your vagina is a muscular tube-like organ. It connects your cervix, which is the lower part of your uterus, to your outer genital area known as the vulva.

Most of the time, cancer starts in another part of the body and spreads to the vagina. For example, cervical cancer or uterine cancer can sometimes spread downward. However, cancer that actually starts directly inside the vaginal tissue is much less common. This primary condition is what doctors call vaginal cancer.

Understanding this structure helps explain why routine pelvic exams are so important. Your doctor can check both your cervix and your vagina during a single routine visit. Catching unusual cell changes early gives you the best chance for successful treatment.

Types of Vaginal Cancer.

There are a few different types of vaginal cancer. Doctors name these types based on the exact kind of cell where the cancer first begins to grow. Here are the main types you should know about:

• Squamous cell carcinoma: This is by far the most common type of vaginal cancer. The inside lining of your vagina is made of flat, skin-like cells called squamous cells. When cancer starts in these flat cells, doctors call it squamous cell carcinoma. About 90 percent of all vaginal cancers fall into this category.
• Adenocarcinoma: This type starts in the glandular cells inside your vagina that make mucus and fluids. Doctors diagnose this type more often in women over the age of 50. A rare subtype called clear cell adenocarcinoma mostly affects younger women whose mothers took a medicine called diethylstilbestrol (DES) during pregnancy.
• Melanoma: Melanoma starts in the specialized pigment-producing cells in your vagina that give your skin its color. However, vaginal melanoma is extremely rare.
• Sarcoma: This type begins in the connective tissues or muscle walls inside your vagina. Like melanoma, sarcoma is very rare. A type called rhabdomyosarcoma usually affects young children, while leiomyosarcoma is more common in adults over 50.

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How Common Is Vaginal Cancer?

You might wonder how often doctors diagnose this condition. The truth is that vaginal cancer is very rare. It affects about one in every 100,000 women. Out of all cancers that affect the female reproductive organs, vaginal cancer makes up only about one to two percent of cases.

Because it is so rare, many people do not hear about it until they or someone they know receives a diagnosis. Knowing the facts helps remove the mystery and encourages you to take good care of your reproductive health.

Who Is at Higher Risk?

Certain factors can increase your chances of developing vaginal cancer. Let us look at the main risk factors so you can discuss them with your doctor:

• Your age: Your risk goes up as you get older. The most common type, squamous cell carcinoma, is most often diagnosed in women over 60 years old.
• HPV infection: Human papillomavirus is a common sexually transmitted infection. Having an HPV infection raises your risk for both cervical cancer and vaginal cancer. Having multiple sexual partners or not getting the HPV vaccine increases your chances of exposure.
• Vaginal Intraepithelial Neoplasia (VAIN): VAIN means your vaginal lining contains abnormal cells that are not yet cancerous. Some cases of VAIN can develop into vaginal cancer over time, though not all do. Having an HPV infection also increases your risk of developing VAIN.
• History of cervical cancer: Having had cervical cancer or abnormal cervical cells in the past raises your risk. Even after successful treatment for cervical cancer, vaginal cancer can sometimes develop later.
• DES exposure before birth: Doctors prescribed DES between 1940 and 1971 to prevent pregnancy complications. If your mother took DES while pregnant with you, you have a higher risk of developing clear cell adenocarcinoma.
• Smoking: Smoking cigarettes doubles your risk of developing vaginal cancer compared to non-smokers.

Symptoms of Vaginal Cancer.

Knowing the warning signs of vaginal cancer is very important for your health. However, you should know that vaginal cancer can sometimes cause no symptoms at all in its early stages. Routine health screenings allow your doctor to spot abnormal cells before you notice any physical signs.

When symptoms do eventually appear, they often include the following warning signs:

• Bleeding from your vagina after sexual intercourse that is not related to your normal period.
• Vaginal bleeding after you have gone through menopause and your periods have stopped completely.
• A watery, bloody, or strong-smelling vaginal discharge.
• Pain or discomfort during sexual intercourse.
• Feeling or seeing a lump inside your vagina.
• Pain when you urinate or feeling an urgent need to urinate very often.
• Constipation or passing dark stools.
• Feeling like your bowels are not completely empty even after using the bathroom.
• Ongoing pain in your pelvic area.

Important Note: Having one or more of these symptoms does not mean you have cancer. Many common, non-serious conditions cause similar signs. However, if you notice any unusual symptoms, schedule an appointment with your doctor right away to get checked.

What Causes Vaginal Cancer?

Researchers do not know the exact cause of every case of vaginal cancer. However, just like cervical cancer, there is a clear link between vaginal cancer and high-risk strains of human papillomavirus (HPV). Studies show that many women diagnosed with vaginal cancer carry antibodies related to high-risk HPV types.

How Does Vaginal Cancer Spread?

Like other cancers, vaginal cancer involves cells that divide and grow out of control instead of dying off normally. These multiplying cells form masses called tumors. Over time, these tumors can spread to nearby healthy tissues and grow larger. Understanding this growth pattern helps doctors choose the best treatment plan to stop the disease.

How Doctors Diagnose Vaginal Cancer.

If you visit your doctor with unusual symptoms, they will first ask you about your health history and symptoms. Next, they will recommend several diagnostic tests to check for precancerous cells or active cancer. Imaging tests help your doctor find out if the cancer has spread and determine its exact stage.

Staging and Imaging Tests.

Staging helps your doctor figure out how far the cancer has grown. Doctors stage vaginal cancer using three main factors: the size of the tumor (T), whether it reached nearby lymph nodes (N), and whether it has spread to distant body parts (M).

To help determine the stage, your doctor may order imaging procedures such as:

• X-rays to check your chest and bones.
• Computed Tomography (CT) scans for detailed cross-sectional body views.
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to measure tumor size accurately.
• Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans to highlight abnormal lymph nodes.
• Cystoscopy, using a tiny lighted camera to check inside your bladder.
• Proctoscopy, using a small lighted tube to inspect your rectum.

Treatments for Vaginal Cancer.

Treatment choices depend on the specific cancer type, its stage, your age, and your overall health. Your personal goals, such as whether you still want to have children, also guide your treatment plan.

Doctors treat non-cancerous or precancerous cell changes with laser surgery or topical medicines. Invasive vaginal cancer usually requires surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or a combination of these treatments.

• Wide local excision: The surgeon removes the tumor along with a small border of healthy surrounding tissue.
• Vaginectomy: Depending on tumor size, surgeons remove part or all of the vagina. They may also remove nearby lymph nodes or perform a hysterectomy to remove the uterus and cervix.
• Pelvic exenteration: This major surgery removes several pelvic organs, including the lower colon, rectum, bladder, uterus, cervix, vagina, and ovaries. Surgeons create an artificial opening (ostomy bag) in your abdomen for waste elimination. Doctors reserve this option for advanced or recurring cancer.
• Radiation therapy: Doctors use high-energy X-rays or internal radioactive wires placed near the tumor to destroy cancer cells.
• Chemotherapy: Medicines are used to kill cancer cells. While chemotherapy alone is rarely a cure for vaginal cancer, doctors often combine it with radiation therapy to make treatment work better.
• Clinical trials: Your doctor may suggest joining a clinical trial to test new, advanced medical treatments and therapies.

How to Reduce Your Risk.

While you cannot prevent every single case of vaginal cancer, you can take practical steps to lower your risk:

• Schedule regular pelvic exams and Pap tests: Talk to your doctor about how often you need routine screenings based on your age and health history.
• Get the HPV vaccine: Discuss vaccination options with your doctor. FDA-approved vaccines include Gardasil, Gardasil 9, and Cervarix.
• Quit smoking: Stopping smoking lowers your risk of vaginal cancer and many other serious health conditions.

What Is the Outlook?

Your personal outlook depends heavily on how early doctors find the cancer. When caught in its early stages, vaginal cancer has a very high success rate for treatment, allowing patients to live long, healthy lives. Finding cancer later makes treatment more challenging and often requires ongoing therapy. This is why routine checkups and paying attention to body changes matter so much.