Therapy
A focal dysplasia, a carcinoma in situ or a very small vaginal carcinoma (vaginal cancer) can be treated by a generous removal of the affected area. In some cases, these carcinomas can be treated with a laser. However, invasive vaginal carcinoma requires an individually planned therapy.
If the carcinoma is limited, a radical operation is performed with removal of all endangered or affected organs. If the carcinoma has spread too far, radiotherapy is the first step.The problem is that radiation also treats the urethra, bladder and rectum. This often leads to fistula formation and is a major problem for the radiation treatment of vaginal carcinoma.
There are two options available for radiation treatment. One is the radiation from the immediate vicinity of the tumor (brachytherapy). This can either be applied directly from the inside or through the skin (percutaneous).
Another possibility is the irradiation from a remote radiation source (teletherapy). Chemotherapy is usually only used in cases of metastasis and tumor formation in other organs. Vaginal cancer is an extremely rare disease whose chances of recovery depend largely on the size and spread of the tumor.
If the cancer is detected at an early stage (stage 0 or 1) and surgically removed or treated by radiotherapy, there are good treatment successes. In general, vaginal cancer is well treatable, although the chances of cure decrease with advanced stages. It is therefore important that the cancer is detected early in the course of a gynecological screening.
Prognosis
Since vaginal cancer remains asymptomatic for a long time, therapy is often started very late. At the time of therapy, the carcinoma has often already spread to the neighbouring organs and lymph nodes. The radiation therapy that is then considered is very difficult and is accompanied by many undesirable side effects.
To date, a 5-year survival rate of 47% is expected. The rare sarcomas and melanomas of the vagina have a much worse prognosis. However, if the treatment is carried out very early and successfully, a cure is possible.
