Vaginal Cancer

Diagnosis

• Vaginal cancer is a rare disease.
• It often occurs in patients with a history of hysterectomy.
• The most common presenting symptom is abnormal vaginal bleeding.
• Diagnosis is made by performing a biopsy of the suspicious lesion, followed by a histological confirmation.

Assessment

• Patients with vaginal cancer undergo basic blood tests, tumour marker level checks, and chest X-rays before treatment.
• The mode of treatment is assessed based on the tumour’s site and size.

• Surgical treatment for vaginal cancer is limited to selected cases.
• When surgical removal is not suitable, chemoradiation or radiotherapy is the preferred treatment approach.

After completion of treatment, patients should be followed up regularly to 

• Deal with the side-effects and complications arising from the treatment
• Monitor the disease status 

Side-effects and Complications from Treatment 

• Extensive operation involves the removal of and insults to normal structures, e.g. lower limb oedema after pelvic lymphadenectomy
• Chemotherapy side-effects can be long-lasting, e.g. numbness over extremities after chemotherapy using platinum agents
• Patients who have received radiotherapy can also develop post-treatment complications 

Monitoring of Disease Status 

• Physical examination
• Vaginal cytology
• Blood test for tumour markers
• Repeated imaging studies if necessary. It helps pick up recurrent diseases