Understanding Vaginal Cancer: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Vaginal cancer is a type of cancer arising from the vagina. The vagina is a hollow channel that connects the opening of the uterus with the outer genitals at birth a baby passes out of the body through the vagina. Also known as the birth canal vaginal cancer occurs more often in women over the age of 50. But can do at any age, indeed immaturity?

Understand about vaginal cancer, including it's causes, symptoms and treatment options.

If detected early it can often be cured vaginal cancer that spreads beyond the vagina is much more difficult to treat. While several types of cancer can spread to the vagina from other places in the Body cancer that begins in the vagina is very Rare. It is called primary if it starts off in the vagina and secondary if cancer spreads from other body parts.

There are two primary types of vaginal Cancer. Vaginal squamous cell carcinoma arises from the thin flat cell or squamous cell that lines the surface of the vagina. It is the most common type of vaginal cell and is found most often in women aged 60 or older squamous cells.

Vaginal cancer spreads slowly and usually stays near the vagina but may spread to the bone lungs or liver vaginal adenocarcinoma arises from the glandular cells.

glandular cells in the lining of the vagina make and release fluids such as Mucus adenocarcinoma is more likely in the lungs and the lymph nodes. It is not clear what causes it.

Causes Of Vaginal Cancer

Vaginal cancer is a rare type of cancer that spreads slowly in the vagina. Until now, the exact cause of vaginal cancer is not known, but some factors are known that increase the chances of vaginal cancer. Let's know what those reasons are:

  • Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection: HPV is a sexually transmitted infection that can lead to cancer.
  • Smoking: Smoking increases the risk of not only vaginal cancer but all types of cancer.
  • Exposure to radiation: The risk of cancer can increase from radiation used in various types of treatment.
  • Personal history of cancer: If you have cancer in any other part of your body, then there is a high chance of getting vaginal cancer.
  • Family history of cancer: If your family has a hereditary or genetic cancer attack, then you are more likely to get cancer.
Vaginal cancer is a rare type of cancer that spreads slowly in the vagina. Until now, the exact cause of vaginal cancer is not known, but some factors are known that increase the chances of vaginal cancer. Let's know what those reasons are:

Symptoms Of Vaginal Cancer

First I am telling 2 short stories and then I will discuss them in detail so that you can understand the whole thing very well.

Story 1: Jennifer is 56 years old. She's been noticing for weeks that, after sex, she has a vaginal bleeding. She's worried. Lately this sex is becoming increasingly annoying.

Story 2: Phoebe is 67 years old. She no longer has menstrual periods a long time ago, neither is she sexually active anymore. A few weeks ago she started noticing a vaginal discharge, and she has frequent urinary tract infections. She is worried and will go to the doctor to consult.

So let's talk about symptoms of Vaginal Cancer.

This tumor is usually located more frequently in the upper third of the vagina, on its rear wall, being difficult to palpate by the woman herself. If cancer is limited to the vagina, it may appear in different ways. Let's see them, one by one.

Situation 1: Gynaecologist Detects Vaginal Cancer When It Hasn't Caused Any Symptoms Yet.

In women who go to periodic reviews, in the physical exam carried out by the gynaecologist a lesion in the vagina can be detected On vaginal palpation. A lump can be noticed on its wall, or in the vaginal inspection some wounds or ulcers can be seen. One in five cancers of the vagina are diagnosed this way without any symptoms. So be sure to follow gynaecological examinations. So a woman must not go crazy as soon as she feels something inside her vagina.

Situation 2: Vaginal Bleeding in a Woman After Having Sex.

A common symptom of vaginal cancer that has not spread outside of the vagina is the appearance of bleeding in a woman after sex. Not all coitorragia (which is the name of this type of bleeding) will be caused by vaginal cancer In cervical or uterine cancers they could. Also, Vaginal bleedings that may be motivated by vaginal cancer are those that get worse. And that increasingly appear in nearly every sexual contact

Situation 3: Woman Begins to Suffer Pain with Sexual Intercourse.

If vaginal cancer grows, it is very common that penile trauma during intercourse can cause discomfort in women. At first it will be a feeling of nuisance, which will turn into real pain. A symptom called dyspareunia, which progressively prevents woman from having sex

Situation 4: Vaginal Discharges with Malodorous Material Appear.

If vaginal cancer grows a lot and a woman doesn’t notice it (or doesn´t want to consult), frequently a vaginal ulcer becomes infected with microorganisms of the vaginal flora An infection will develop. That will generate a mixture of serous fluid secretion, pus, blood and dead cells, emanating from the vagina continuously.

Situation 5: Woman with Vaginal Cancer Repeatedly Suffers Urinary Tract Infections.

Because women have a shorter urethra, microorganisms of the vaginal flora and this secretion due to vaginal cancer can climb the urethra. Originating urinary infections that will make the woman suffer from symptoms of cystitis very often. That’s why women suffering from cystitis and urinary tract infections have to go to the gynaecologist and get a detailed examination.

Situation 6: The Tumour Grows Forward and Compresses the Urethra.

If the tumour grows hugely, it can push into the urethra, which is the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside. If cancer simply pushes the urethral wall, it can cause difficulty urinating.

The woman will have to push harder to empty her bladder. Cancer can even completely close the outlet of urine. If this happens, women will have abdominal pain due to the bladder swelling, although this happens seldom.

If cancer breaks the wall of the urethra, blood could appear in the urine, causing symptoms of cystitis and staining urine red (a phenomenon called hematuria), but this only occurs in very advanced tumours.

This tumor is usually located more frequently in the upper third of the vagina, on its rear wall, being difficult to palpate by the woman herself. If cancer is limited to the vagina, it may appear in different ways. Let's see them, one by one.

Vaginal Cancer Metastases: Lungs

When tumor cells get to the lungs usually grow separate groups, eventually appearing multiple metastases, which increasingly get bigger. If these metastases cancel enough lung function. They can cause difficulty breathing (a symptom called "dyspnoea"). If they touch a breathing tube (bronchus or their branches). They will irritate them, causing a very annoying dry cough, very difficult to alleviate.

If metastases are placed near a pulmonary blood vessel they may break it. Pouring a little blood with cough

Vaginal Cancer Metastases: Liver

When vaginal cancer cells are established in the liver, they begin to grow wildly and begin to crush liver cells. When broken, contents of these liver cells, which are transaminases, get in the blood, thus increasing their levels (as detected in a blood test).

If metastases compress small channels that carry bile within the liver. It may increase the amount of bilirubin in the blood and skin gets a yellow tint, a phenomenon called “jaundice”.

Vaginal Cancer Treatment

The stages type your general health and preference will determine the treatment option. Treatment option may include surgery to remove small lesions or tumors surgery to remove either part or all the vagina. As in vaginectomy or to remove your reproductive or pelvic organ radiation therapy. That uses powerful energy beams such as x-rays to kill the cancer cell chemotherapy that involves using medication-injected intravenously or taken orally to kill the cancer cell. supportive care that aims to improve the quality of life for people with cancer and their families is helpful. If combined with all of the other treatments. People with cancer may live longer and feel better. 

Vaginal Cancer After Hysterectomy

Vaginal cancer after a hysterectomy is veritably rare, but it can be. Your threat of developing vaginal cancer after a hysterectomy is more advanced than before if you had a hysterectomy for cervical cancer. However, your chances of developing this cancer will increase.

If you have had a former attack of the HPV contagion and if you're a regular smoker. Symptoms of vaginal cancer can include vaginal bleeding, pain, and discharge. However, see your croaker as soon as possible, If you witness any of these symptoms.

Vaginal Skin Cancer

The idea that vaginal cancer only occurs in the vagina is largely wrong. Vaginal cancer can occur anywhere, even on your skin. Every year many such patients are attacked by skin vaginal cancer. A doctor should be contacted as soon as these symptoms are observed.

Vaginal Tumour

When cancer breaks a blood vessel near the tumour and accesses blood, cancer cells travel throughout the body In places where, due to their special conditions. They like to stay and live, these cells leave the blood vessel and settle, growing and multiplying In the case of vaginal cancer. The most common sites where metastases appear are: In the lungs, In the liver, And in the bones.

When cancer breaks a blood vessel near the tumour and accesses blood, cancer cells travel throughout the body In places where, due to their special conditions. They like to stay and live, these cells leave the blood vessel and settle, growing and multiplying In the case of vaginal cancer. The most common sites where metastases appear are: In the lungs, In the liver, And in the bones.

Vaginal Melanoma

Now that should bring us to the different types of melanoma we talked about. the causes of melanoma which are almost always but not always the sun. there are melanomas that are not. so called skin melanomas or cutaneous melanomas. you can have melanomas of the palms and souls.

So-called acryl melanomas and let's face the palms and the souls don't tend to see that much sun. Obviously when you're walking around you know the soul your foot isn't going to see the sun and if you look at people who are heavily pigmented the palms and the soles tend to have the least pigment so ironically they're the least. protected part of the body against the sun. although they don't see much of the sun, same thing for your nail beds.

Nail beds don't have much pigment, they're pretty pale and again they tend to not see that much sun unlike the rest of your body. but you can have melanomas in all those places palms soles the beds of the nail. those are what we call the aqua lentiginous or acral melanomas and they are different. Species of melanoma entirely have many different genetics. Changes that the typical skin melanoma doesn't have. You can then have mucosal melanomas and those are pretty rare. 

If you had a hundred thousand regular melanomas you'd have one thousand mucus membrane melanomas and they arise on the mouth and the nose. the vaginal area, anorectal area, the urethra, those are where the mucous membranes are and they don't better not see the sun they don't see the sun and they arise via a completely different mechanism that does not relate to the sun.

Although the end result is the same they can develop pigment. They can express many of the same factors that a skin melanoma does and they can spread and cause death just as easily. As a skin melanoma can, the last unusual type of melanoma is melanoma of the eye.

The part of the eye it arises in is called the uvea. so uveal melanomas or ocular or high melanomas generally are not directly related to the sun. but there are obviously pigment cells in our eyes right we have blue eyes green eyes brown eyes. so-called skin melanomas you can develop cancer from those pigment cells.

Also Read: Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs): Causes, Symptoms, Prevention and Treatment

Vulvar Fissures Treatment At Home

It is basically dietary and lifestyle modification. When I say dietary you need to eat food which contains a lot of fibres. so a lot of vegetables and fruits drink plenty of water and try to avoid constipation. where in the case of fistulas.

There is no home remedy; the only way for fistulas is surgery. and another thing i like to maintain a fish of fishes is you should try and take laxatives. if there is too much constipation. So that motion is always kept soft; this is only home remedy fistulas. do not have home remedies.

Stage 3 Vaginal Cancer

In stage 3a the tumour spreads to the lower third of the vagina. In stage 3b the cancer spreads to the pelvic wall, the lining of the body wall cavity between the hips or it may spread to the ureters tubes. Which carries urine away from the kidneys to the bladder. If the flow of urine is blocked the kidneys can become enlarged or stop working.

Stage 4 Vaginal Cancer

In stage 4a the tumour invades nearby pelvic organs such as the bladder or rectum and may spread to the pelvic lymph nodes. In stage 4b the cancer spreads past the pelvic lymph nodes to other places in the body such as the liver.

FAQs

How many stages are there in cancer diagnosis?

Answer: Most types of cancer have four stages: stage I (1) to IV (4). Some cancers also have a stage 0 (zero). Here is a general description of cancer stage groupings.

Why is cancer so hard to cure?

Answer: Over time new mutations can appear and cause the cells to change.

Conclusion

Nowadays Vaginal cancer is one of the most dangerous diseases. Millions of people are affected by this cancer every year. This is a very serious cancer. In today's article I have discussed why this cancer occurs, what are its symptoms, and how to get rid of it. Hope this article will be very helpful for you, and from now you will know a lot about this cancer.

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