overview
Vaginal cancer
Vaginal CancerOpen popup dialog
Vaginal cancer is a rare cancer that occurs in your vagina – the muscle tube that connects your uterus to your external genitals. Vaginal cancer most commonly occurs in cells that line the surface of your vagina, sometimes called the birth canal.
- Although many cancers can spread to your vagina from elsewhere in your body, cancer that starts in your vagina (primary vaginal cancer) is rare.
- Diagnosing vaginal cancer early has the best chance of a cure. Vaginal cancer that spreads beyond the vagina is much more difficult to treat.Vaginal cancer Treatment Hyderabad
symptom
Female reproductive organs
Female Reproductive System Pop-up Dialog
Early vaginal cancer may not cause any signs or symptoms. Over time, vaginal cancer can cause signs and symptoms such as:
- Unusual vaginal bleeding, for example after sex or after menopause
- Watery discharge from the vagina
- A lump or lump in your vagina
- Painful urination
- Frequent urination
- constipation
- Pelvic pain
The reasons
Layers of vaginal tissue
Vaginal Tissue Layers Open popup dialog
It is not known what causes vaginal cancer. Usually, 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 and eventually die. Cancer cells grow and multiply in an uncontrolled manner and do not die. The abnormal cells that accumulate form a lump (tumor).
- Cancer cells invade nearby tissues and can break away from an initial tumor and spread (metastasize) elsewhere in the body.Vaginal cancer Treatment Hyderabad
Risk factors
Factors that can increase your risk of vaginal cancer include:
- Increased age. Your risk of vaginal cancer increases as you get older. Most people diagnosed with vaginal cancer are over 60 years old.
Atypical cells in the vagina are known as vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia. A diagnosis of vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia (VAIN) increases the risk of vaginal cancer. - With VAIN, cells in the vagina look different than normal cells, but not different enough to be considered cancerous. A small number of people with VAIN will eventually develop vaginal cancer, although doctors aren’t sure why some cases develop into cancer and others remain mild.
- VAIN is often caused by the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV), which can cause cancers of the cervix, vagina, and vulva, among other things. Vaccines that prevent certain types of HPV infection are available.
- Exposure to a drug used to prevent miscarriage. If your mother took a medicine called diethylstilbestrol (DES) during pregnancy in the 1950s, there may be an increased risk of a certain type of vaginal cancer called clear cell adenocarcinoma.
prevention
There is no surefire way to prevent vaginal cancer. However, you can lower your risk if you:
- Get regular pelvic exams and Pap tests. You can increase your risk of developing vaginal cancer early on by having routine pelvic exams and Pap tests. If detected early, vaginal cancer is more likely to be cured. Talk to your doctor about when to start these tests and how often to repeat them.
- Ask your doctor about the HPV vaccine. Vaccination to prevent HPV infection can lower the risk of vaginal cancer and other types of HPV-related cancers. Ask your doctor if an HPV vaccine is right for you.
- Do not smoke. If you smoke, quit. If you don’t smoke, don’t start. Smoking increases the risk of vaginal cancer.Vaginal cancer Treatment Hyderabad