Vaginal Cancer Treatment

There are a variety of ways that vaginal cancer is treated. Treatment will vary from patient to patient depending upon these factors:

general health of the patient

the type of vaginal cancer

the stage of the vaginal cancer

whether the patient has had a hysterectomy or still has uterus

whether the patient has had pelvic radiation in the past

Once this factors have been determined, a treatment plan can be organized. Once a doctor recommends treatment, a second opinion may be required by the patient's insurance company. This is standard procedure for most companies. Many times the patient will request a second opinion.

Vaginal Cancer Treatment Methods

Many times, several different types of treatment will be used to treat vaginal cancer. For example, a patient may have surgery, then pelvic radiation therapy. This is not uncommon.

Surgery is a common vaginal cancer treatment method. There are several types of surgeries used to treat vaginal cancer, such as:

Laser Surgery Laser surgery involves the use of a light beam to ast as a knife to remove abnormal tissue.

Wide Local Excision A wide local excision is surgery that removes the abnormal tissue and some of the healthy tissue around it.

Vaginectomy A vaginectomy is the surgical removal of all or part of the vagina.

Total Hysterectomy A total hysterectomy is the removal of the cervix and uterus.

Lymphadenectomy During a lymphadenectomy, the lymph nodes are removed and then examined for the presence of cancer.

Pelvic Exenteration Pelvic exenteration is the surgical removal of the colon, bladder, and rectum. For women, the vagina, cervix, ovaries, and lymph nodes are removed as well.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the use of drugs that either kill cancer cells or preventing the cells from dividing. Chemotherapy can be given in a variety of ways, with IV infusion and pill being more common. The type of chemotherapy given depends on the stage and type of vaginal cancer.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy is the use of certain types of energy, radiation is used to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. This energy can be waves or particles like protons, electrons, x-rays and gamma rays.

Radiation can be given internally or externally. The type of radiation given depends on the stage and type of vaginal cancer.