Treatment of Stage I Vaginal Cancer

For information about the treatments listed below, see the Treatment Option Overview section.

Treatment of stage I squamous cell vaginal cancer lesions that are less than 0.5 centimeters thick may include the following:

• External radiation therapy, especially for large tumors or the lymph nodes near tumors in the lower part of the vagina.
• Internal radiation therapy.
• Surgery (wide local excision or vaginectomy with vaginal reconstruction). Radiation therapy may be given after the surgery.

Treatment of stage I squamous cell vaginal cancer lesions that are more than 0.5 centimeters thick may include the following:

• Surgery:
  • For lesions in the upper third of the vagina, vaginectomy and lymph node dissection, with or without vaginal reconstruction.
  • For lesions in the lower third of the vagina, lymph node dissection.
• Radiation therapy may be given after the surgery, which may include:
  • External radiation therapy with or without internal radiation therapy.
  • Internal radiation therapy.
  • For lesions in the lower third of the vagina, radiation therapy may be given to lymph nodes near tumors.

Treatment of stage I vaginal adenocarcinoma may include the following:

• Surgery (vaginectomy and hysterectomy with lymph node dissection). This may be followed by vaginal reconstruction and/or radiation therapy.
• Internal radiation therapy. External radiation therapy may also be given to the lymph nodes near tumors in the lower part of the vagina.
• A combination of therapies that may include wide local excision with or without lymph node dissection and internal radiation therapy.