ABSTRACT
Situated behind the urethra and bladder and in front of the rectum, the vagina is an elastic, fibromuscular tube of 7.5 cm in length and about 2.5 cm in diameter that extends from the neck of the uterus (the cervix) to the external genitals. The most common symptoms of vaginal cancer are abnormal vaginal bleeding, difficulty or pain when urinating, pain during sexual intercourse, pain in the pelvic area (the lower part of the abdomen between the hip bones), pain in the back or legs, swelling in the legs, a lump in the vagina, lower extremity edema, fever, fatigue, and weight loss. Differential diagnoses for vaginal cancer include metastases from other sites (e.g., cervical, endometria, or ovarian cancer, breast cancer, gestational trophoblastic disease, colorectal cancer, urogenital or vulvar cancer, and Skene gland adenocarcinoma). Treatment options for vaginal cancer include surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. If diagnosed and staged early, a combination of surgical resection and radiation is curative in vaginal cancer.
