• Home

Home > Medical Reference > Encyclopedia (English)

Toggle: English / Spanish

Vaginal tumors

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Alternative Names:

Vaginal cancer; Cancer - vagina; Tumor - vaginal

Treatment:

Treatment of vaginal cancer depends on the individual woman, the specific type of vaginal cancer, and how widespread the disease is.

Surgery is sometimes used to remove the cancer, but most patients are treated with radiation. If the tumor is actually cervical cancer that has spread to the vagina, then radiation and chemotherapy are both given.

Sarcoma botryoides may be treated with a combination of chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation.

Support Groups:

The stress of illness may be eased by joining a support group whose members share common experiences and problems. These support groups can be found by searching the Internet or contacting the American Cancer Society.

Expectations (prognosis):

The prognosis of vaginal cancer depends largely on the stage of disease and the type of tumor. The overall 5-year survival rate for squamous cell carcinoma of the vagina is about 42%. The overall 5-year survival rate for patients with a vaginal adenocarcinoma is about 78%.

Complications:

Vaginal cancer may spread to other areas of the body. Other complications include complications of radiation, surgery, and chemotherapy.

Calling your health care provider:

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if you notice bleeding after intercourse or have persistent vaginal bleeding or discharge.

• Review Date: 9/11/2006
• Reviewed By: Rita Nanda, M.D., Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology/Oncology, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial process . A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 1997-2007 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.