Primary invasive carcinoma of the vagina

Carcinoma of the vagina remains a problem for the clinician. The experience of The Ohio State University Gynecologic Oncology section confirms that careful consideration of urinary complaints is important in patient evaluation. In our experience, a fourth of the patients in our series with primary carcinoma of the vagina presented with urinary complaints with or without associated pain or bleeding. Vaginal bleeding was the most common complaint. Radical surgery may result in equally successful therapy, as does radiation for early stage disease. The disease stage was the single most important prognostic factor. Finally, careful screening of the vagina for a neoplasm is important, especially in patients in the postmenopausal period with histories of other neoplasms.