[Carcinoma of the vagina]

In our study we present the cases with vaginal cancer treated in the gynaecological clinic of the National Oncological Centre in Sofia for the period from 1989 till 1998. Most of the women were with squamous cell carcinoma of the vagina. Twenty seven patients were examined--19 of them were operated, 18 patients received radiotherapy and 2 chemotherapy. The tumors that were localized in the upper 2/3 of the vagina were operated by radical hysterectomy a modo Wertheim-Meigs and extirpation of the vagina. When the tumor was localized in the lower third of the vagina we performed additionally radical vulvectomy and bilateral inguinofemoral lymph-node dissection. For more advanced cancers we did exenteration anterior and posterior. When there was no possibility for surgical approach or for radiotherapy we did chemotherapy with 5-Fu, methotrexate, cyclophosphamide and vincristin. The prognosis for the vaginal cancers is not good, in 25-30% of the patients survive 5 years. As a whole we assess that we are having the same results, as well as survival rate like other western clinics.