Sunday, April 3, 2011

Vaginal Cancer - Important Facts

This is the cancer that originates in the tissues of the vagina, the birth canal. According to estimates, there were 2300 new cases found in U.S in 2010 that caused 780 deaths. Generally, vaginal cancer is rare and occurs in women over the age of 50, but it can affect at any age, even sometimes during infancy.

Signs and symptoms
Vaginal cancer does not show any symptoms often. Among the signs are:
  • Abnormal vaginal bleeding
  • Painful or difficult urination
  • Pain in pelvic area
  • Pain during sexual intercourse
How is this cancer diagnosed?
Various tests are carried out to confirm the occurrence of vaginal caner. These include:
  • Biopsy
  • Pelvic examination
  • Physical examination and history
  • Colposcopy
  • Pap smear
Once a woman is diagnosed with this cancer, she should consult a professional oncologist to get the disease treated, as soon as possible.

Treatment of Vaginal Cancer
Surgery or radiation therapy is used to treat this cancer. In some complicated cases, a combined therapy that involves both surgery and pelvic radiation is given to the patient.

Common types
Two main types of vaginal cancer are:
  • squamous cell carcinoma and
  • adenocarcinoma
Vaginal Squamous cell carcinoma
This is the most common type of vaginal cancer and usually affects women above the age of 60. It slowly spreads and stays near vagina in woman’s body. But in some advanced stages, it is likely to expand to lungs and liver also. This cancer arises from flat and thin squamous cells that line the vagina.

Adenocarcinoma
Vaginal adenocarcinoma  forms in the glandular cells that are found in the lining of the vagina that produce some vaginal fluids. This cancer has a greater chance of spreading to the lymph nodes and lungs than squamous cell carcinoma. Unlike the other type that affects in older woman, adenocarcinoma occurs in younger women or those at the age of 30.

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