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What Is Vaginal Cancer?
Vaginal cancer is one of the most rarely occurring cancer types originating from the vagina of a woman. Usually, vaginal cancer affects the cells forming the lining of the vaginal surface. Many cancers originating from other body parts can also affect our vagina, but they are not vaginal cancer; cancer that spread from other organ to the vagina is referred to as metastatic cancer.
Vaginal cancers detected at early stages of the disease have higher chances of recovery. Similarly, treating vaginal cancer that has spread outside the vagina is extremely challenging. However, detecting the disease at an early stage is difficult as early vaginal cancer might not show up any symptom. With progression of vaginal cancer, the patient starts experiencing symptoms like:
- Abnormal vaginal bleeding
- Secretion of a water substance form the vagina
- Painful urination
- Formation of a lump within the vagina
- Pelvic pain
- Constipation
What are the types of vaginal cancer? Depending on the cell type from where the cancer is originating, vaginal cancer is categorized into 4 types; they are:
Squamous cell carcinomas: This cancer types starts from squamous cells of the vagina i.e. the flat and thin cells lining the vaginal surface. Majority of vaginal cancers are squamous cell carcinomas.
Adenocarcinomas: This cancer type begins from glandular cells present in the vagina.
Sarcomas: Cancers starting from the muscle cells or the connective tissues forming the walls of our vagina are called sarcomas.
Melanomas: Cancers beginning from the melanocytes or pigment producing cells of the vagina are referred to as melanomas.
What are the vaginal cancer causes? Like most other cancer forms scientists have not yet identified any particular cause of vaginal cancer. However, medical researchers have found out certain risk factors of the disease. Below we have discussed some risk factors of vaginal cancer:
Increasing age: Aging increases a woman's risk of suffering from vaginal cancer. Majority of the vaginal cancer diagnosis occurs in women above the age of 50 years.
Presence of vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia or VAIN: Women suffering from VAIN are at higher risk of developing vaginal cancer compared to those who do not have any such problem. Women with VAIN have vaginal cells that appear to be different than the normal cells; however, the difference is not enough for being considered as cancer. VAIN, which is a result of infection caused by HPV or human papillomavirus might later turn into cancer or can also remain benign. Human papillomavirus is also responsible for causing other cancer types like vulvular and cervical cancer.
Exposure to drugs meant for preventing miscarriage: Female children of the mothers taking a drug known as diethylstilbestrol in time of pregnancy during the 1950s possess greater risk of developing a vaginal cancer type known as clear cell adenocarcinomas.
Vaginal Cysts and Vaginal Cancer
What are vaginal cysts?
These are small sacs filled with fluid, that are found predominantly in the vaginal region. These cysts are caused due to a lot of factors. They are treated easily. Some cysts come and go on their own. There are many cysts that grow in size and sometimes also become cancerous. So, it is important that if the women show any signs of having vaginal cysts then one should immediately consult her general practitioner or gynaecologists, and discuss the problem at length and then investigate it.
These vaginal cysts come out as small lumps on the inner vaginal walls. They are small in size and then grow larger if they are not treated. Women having vaginal cysts normally complain of a lot of vaginal lumps that are most of the time protruding. These cysts are caused due to [...]
Diagnosis of Vaginal Cancer
The cancer originating from the cells of the vagina of a woman is called vaginal cancer. This is a rare cancer type mostly affecting the cells lining the vagina’s surface, an area often referred to as the birth canal. Cancer can also spread to the vagina from other body parts; those cancer types however, are secondary vaginal cancer. If vaginal cancer is detected in an early stage, the chances of achieving complete cure are much higher for the patients. Treating vaginal cancer which has spread beyond vagina is extremely difficult.
When a woman experiences any signs of vaginal cancer, she should immediately report them to her physician. The doctor will perform a thorough examination of her cervix and vagina with the help of a device called colposcopy. If the colposcopy reveals any abnormality [...]
Cancer of the Vagina – Understanding Risk Factors
Risk factors are those which increase an individual’s probability of getting cancer though could be influencing cancer growth and majority of them not direct cancer-causers. Several individuals having a number of risk factors would never get cancers whilst some having no identified risk factor would get cancer. But, having the knowledge about your risk factors & notifying the physician might assist you in making well-informed healthcare & lifestyle selections.
Here are various risk factors that could augment a female’s risk of getting cancer of the vagina:
Squamous cell cancer commonly arises in females amid fifty & seventy years of age; around fifty percent of females having cancer of the vagina are in their sixties.
Studies suggest that being infected with human papillomavirus [...]
Vaginal Cancer
Vaginal cancer is an atypical disease constituting to lesser than three percent of all types of gynaecological cancers. There are four varied kinds of vaginal cancer, comprising of:
Squamous Cell Cancer: The most prevalent form generally affecting women in the age bracket of 50-70years and detected in the upper section of the vagina.
Adenocarcinoma: The second widespread form normally affecting women in the ages of 12-30 years, though it could seldom occur among women from all ages.
Malignant Melanomas Sarcomas: The exceptionally rare types of the cancer.
It is vital to comprehend that despite having undergone a hysterectomy in the past, vaginal cancer could still occur among such women.
Risk Factors :
As is the case with several cancerous forms, the precise reason leading to vaginal [...]
