What is vaginal cancer?
Vaginal cancer is a rare disease. Its incidence is less than 2%. Others are more common tumors of the female genital tract, such as the cervix or the endometrium .
The most common age of onset is usually after age 60, still rare in women under 50 years.
The factors that predispose the development of this disease is clearly known.
What are the symptoms?
Actually they are not very clear. Most commonly present bleeds more or less through the vagina, sometimes after intercourse, or in women menopausal , where these bleeding no longer have any explanation for menstruation.
Therefore, it is appropriate to any changes in menstrual rhythm, or if
bleeding when menstruation has already removed the woman consult her
gynecologist. There may, in advanced stages of the disease, symptoms such as pelvic pain or urinary or rectal disturbances.
How is it diagnosed?
It can be diagnosed in a gynecological examination usual, even early stages, using a speculum, and colposcopy. The definitive diagnosis will give the examination of a biopsy of the area affected the doctor suspect. In a biopsy, a sample of the tumor tissue is taken, in order to study it with a microscope. Cytology can also help in the initial stages of diagnosis. In the cytology scraping area it is made in order to collect loose cells. These cells are then observed under a microscope to check for signs of malignancy.
What is the treatment of vaginal cancer?
The choice of treatment is radiotherapy .
This can be applied in two ways: externally to the patient, linear
accelerators, which are devices that let you apply a selective radiation
on the area of interest or internal tools eliminate-emitting
radioactivity, which are placed in the vagina of women and remaining
time performing its function.
During that time and in subsequent sessions, the radiation will be
getting the tumor is large enough to cause its progressive destruction.
Surgery is indicated as an alternative only in those situations where a
clear failure of radiation occurs, as it is often technically
complicated and sometimes surgery, can be very aggressive to women.
What prognosis is vaginal cancer?
If treatment achieves performed early, cure rates range from 20% to 50%
depending on the degree of extension in the tumor is at the time of
treatment.
In this, as in all cancers, the chance of cure is gradually reduced, as
the tumor is found more widespread locally and / or the body.
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