Vaginal Cancer Survival Rates
Vaginal Cancer Survival Rates
If you have been diagnosed with vaginal cancer, you may have questions about your prognosis and what survival statistics mean for you. Vaginal cancer survival rates provide information about how groups of people with vaginal cancer have done in the past, but they cannot predict exactly what will happen to one person.
Survival is influenced by several factors, including how far the cancer has spread, the type and location of the tumor, your age and overall health, and how the cancer responds to treatment.
THE BASICS: Vaginal cancer generally has a better prognosis when it is found before it has spread beyond the vagina. According to current U.S. data, the 5-year relative survival rate is 76% for localized vaginal cancer, 59% for regional disease, and 24% for distant disease. Across all stages combined, the rate is 55%.
Vaginal cancer survival rates
The American Cancer Society reports vaginal cancer survival statistics using data from the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.
For people diagnosed with vaginal cancer between 2015 and 2021:
SEER stage | 5-year relative survival rate |
|---|---|
Localized | 76% |
Regional | 59% |
Distant | 24% |
All stages combined | 55% |
A 5-year relative survival rate compares people with vaginal cancer with people in the general population who do not have that cancer. For example, people with localized vaginal cancer are, on average, about 76% as likely as people without vaginal cancer to be alive five years after diagnosis.
This does not mean someone has only five years to live. Many people live much longer after a cancer diagnosis.
What do localized, regional, and distant vaginal cancer mean?
Localized vaginal cancer is limited to the vaginal wall and has not spread to nearby structures, lymph nodes, or distant organs. Its 5-year relative survival rate is 76%.
Regional vaginal cancer has spread beyond the vaginal wall into nearby tissues, structures, or lymph nodes. Its 5-year relative survival rate is 59%.
Distant vaginal cancer, also called metastatic vaginal cancer, has spread to distant parts of the body, such as the lungs, liver, or bones. Its 5-year relative survival rate is 24%.
These SEER categories are not the same as vaginal cancer stages I through IV. You should not assume that a SEER percentage represents the survival rate for a specific FIGO stage.
How diagnosis affects vaginal cancer prognosis
Earlier diagnosis is generally associated with a better prognosis because cancer that remains confined to the vagina may be easier to treat than cancer that has spread.
A vaginal cancer diagnosis is confirmed with a biopsy, in which tissue is examined for cancer cells. A pelvic exam and imaging tests can then help determine the extent of disease.
A Pap smear, or Pap test, primarily screens for cervical cancer by identifying abnormal cells from the cervix. An HPV test can identify high-risk human papillomavirus infections associated with cervical and some vaginal cancers. Abnormal vaginal cells may sometimes be detected during testing, particularly after a hysterectomy or in people with a history of cervical precancer.
If an abnormal area is identified, a colposcopy may be used to closely examine the cervix, vagina, and vulva. These tests help doctors distinguish invasive cancer from a precancerous condition involving abnormal vaginal cells.
What factors affect vaginal cancer survival?
Stage is important, but it is not the only factor that affects prognosis. Doctors may also consider:
Age and overall health
Tumor size and location
Vaginal cancer type
Lymph node involvement
Whether cancer has spread to distant organs
Response to treatment
Whether cancer is newly diagnosed or recurrent
Which treatments can safely be used
The most common vaginal cancer is squamous cell carcinoma. Less common types include vaginal adenocarcinoma, melanoma, and sarcoma. Clear cell adenocarcinoma is a rare subtype historically associated with exposure before birth to diethylstilbestrol (DES).
Vaginal cancer is one of several gynecologic cancers, along with cervical, uterine, ovarian, and vulvar cancers. Although these cancers occur in nearby parts of the reproductive system, they can have different treatments and outcomes.
Do signs and symptoms affect survival?
Signs and symptoms cannot tell you what stage vaginal cancer is, but recognizing persistent changes and having them evaluated can lead to a diagnosis.
Possible vaginal cancer symptoms include unusual vaginal bleeding, bleeding after sex or menopause, unusual vaginal discharge, pelvic pain, pain during sex, or a lump or mass in the vagina.
There is currently no routine screening program specifically for vaginal cancer in average-risk people. This makes it important to tell your healthcare provider about persistent or unexplained symptoms rather than waiting for a screening test.
These symptoms are much more commonly caused by conditions other than cancer, so experiencing one does not mean you have vaginal cancer.
Can treatment improve vaginal cancer survival?
Treatment can eliminate or control vaginal cancer in some patients. Options may include radiation therapy, surgery, chemotherapy, or a combination of treatments, depending on the stage and characteristics of the cancer.
People with recurrent or advanced disease may also be candidates for systemic treatments or clinical trials. Because vaginal cancer is rare, participation in research is especially important for developing better treatment options.
Outcomes may also improve over time as cancer diagnosis, radiation techniques, imaging, supportive care, and systemic treatments advance.
Why survival statistics cannot predict your outcome
Survival statistics describe groups of people treated in the past. The current 5-year estimates include patients diagnosed several years ago and therefore cannot fully reflect newer treatments or improvements in cancer care.
Statistics also cannot account for everything that makes your diagnosis unique. Two people with the same stage of vaginal cancer may have different tumor characteristics, health conditions, treatment options, and responses to therapy.
This is particularly important for a rare cancer because fewer patients are available to generate survival estimates than for more common diseases such as cervical cancer.
What if vaginal cancer comes back?
Recurrent vaginal cancer is cancer that returns after treatment. It may return in or near the vagina, in regional lymph nodes, or elsewhere in the body.
Your prognosis after recurrence depends on where the cancer has returned, how much time has passed since treatment, which therapies you previously received, your overall health, and which treatments remain available.
The survival statistics associated with your original diagnosis cannot precisely predict what will happen after a recurrence.
Questions to ask your doctor about survival and prognosis
If you want to understand how survival statistics relate to your diagnosis, consider asking:
What is the stage of my vaginal cancer?
Has my cancer spread to lymph nodes or other organs?
What factors affect my individual prognosis?
What is the goal of my treatment?
How likely is my cancer to respond to treatment?
What is the risk that my cancer will return?
How will you monitor me after treatment?
Are there clinical trials I should consider?
Your healthcare team can interpret population-level survival statistics in the context of your cancer type, stage, health, and response to treatment.