VAGINAL CANCER

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Vaginal cancer is cancer that occurs in the vagina — the muscular tube that connects the uterus with the outer genitals.

Symptoms

Early vaginal cancer may not cause any signs and symptoms. As it progresses, vaginal cancer may cause signs and symptoms such as:

Unusual vaginal bleeding, for example, after intercourse or after menopause
Watery vaginal discharge
A lump or mass in your vagina
Painful urination
Constipation
Pelvic pain

Causes

It's not clear what causes vaginal cancer. In general, cancer begins when healthy cells acquire a genetic mutation that turns normal cells into abnormal cells.

Healthy cells grow and multiply at a set rate, eventually dying at a set time. Cancer cells grow and multiply out of control, and they don't die. The accumulating abnormal cells form a mass (tumor).

Cancer cells invade nearby tissues and can break off from an initial tumor to spread elsewhere in the body (metastasize).
Types of vaginal cancer

Vaginal cancer is divided into different types based on the type of cell where the cancer began. Vaginal cancer types include:

Vaginal squamous cell carcinoma, which begins in the thin, flat cells (squamous cells) that line the surface of the vagina, is the most common type
Vaginal adenocarcinoma, which begins in the glandular cells on the surface of your vagina
Vaginal melanoma, which develops in the pigment-producing cells (melanocytes) of your vagina
Vaginal sarcoma, which develops in the connective tissue cells or muscles cells in the walls of your vagina

Risk_factors

Factors that may increase your risk of vaginal cancer include:

Increasing age.

Atypical cells in the vagina called vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia,VAIN.

Exposure to miscarriage prevention drug. Women whose mothers took a drug called diethylstilbestrol (DES) while pregnant in the 1950s have an increased risk of a certain type of vaginal cancer called clear cell adenocarcinoma.

Other risk factors include:

Multiple sexual partners
Early age at first intercourse
Smoking
HIV infection

Prevention

There is no sure way to prevent vaginal cancer. However you may reduce your risk if you:

Undergo regular pelvic exams and Pap tests.
HPV vaccine.
Don't smoke. If you smoke, quit. If you don't smoke, don't start.