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New trends in the management of primary vaginal squamous cell carcinoma

Jörg Baltzer

Affiliacja i adres do korespondencji
GIN ONKOL 2007, 5 (4), p. 190-199
Streszczenie

Primary vaginal cancer is a rare disease constituting approximately 2% of gynaecological malignancies. Most vaginal cancers are in fact metastases from adjacent organs, mostly cervix and vulva and, much less frequently, bladder, sigmoid colon or rectum. Major part (80%) of primary vaginal cancers are squamous cell carcinomas located usually in the upper 1/3 of the vagina. Little is known about aetiology of this tumour. The patients’ age range is wide with preinvasive lesions affecting predominantly the younger age group. VAIN-lesions are mostly asymptomatic and are first detected by an abnormal PAP-smear. Location of the lesion can be defined by colposcopy. Surgical excision or ablation of atypical epithelium using CO2 laser or radiation therapy are usually highly effective. It is probably unnecessary to treat VAIN 1 and VAIN 2 lesions unless they are persistent. All VAIN 3-lesions should be actively treated. In the case of histologically proven cancer, radiotherapy combining external and internal sources of radiation is the treatment of choice in most centres. In young women the key issue is to prevent radiation-induced castration. Recent studies show that conservative treatment options sparing reproductive and sexual function in young women at an early stage of the disease are feasible and effective. In more advanced stages radiation therapy is indicated, but survival rates obtained are worse than in cervical cancer patients. Tumour morphology, grade and stage are important prognostic factors. Common background factors with no prognostic significance are prior hysterectomy, other gynaecological malignancies and pelvic irradiation. Better understanding of prognostic factors and biologic tumor markers may help to discriminate between low- and high-grade tumours and to develop guidelines for tayloring tumour- and patient-specific therapies.

Słowa kluczowe
primary squamous cell vaginal cancer, precancerous lesions, invasive cancer, diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, radiotherapy, surgery