Primary invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the vagina

Neoplastic lesions of the vagina account for 1% of all gynecologic malignancies. The overall 5-year survival rate for this disease is poor. This study comprised 58 patients with diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma of the vagina treated between 1960 and 1984. Median age at diagnosis was 70 years. The lesions were staged according to FIGO. The numbers of patients in various stages were: I/13, II/24, III/12 and IV/9 and according to histologic differentiation: low grade/11, medium grade/17 and high grade/25; not recorded, 5. Twenty patients were treated with primary surgery and irradiation, 30 were treated with intracavitary and/or external irradiation only. The 5-year corrected survival rates were: St I/50%, St II/30%, St III/17% and St IV/10%; grade I/57%, grade 2/32% and grade 3/17%, younger than 70 years of age/43% and older than or 70 years of age/21%. The incidence of rectovaginal or vesicovaginal fistulas amounted to 17%. The treatment results of primary carcinoma of the vagina are poor. Prognostic factors for survival should be considered at treatment planning.