Primary invasive vaginal cancer. Report of 12 cases.

The aim of this study was to describe the clinical features, methods of treatment and results of treatment among patients with primary invasive cancer. Twelve women in whom primary invasive cancer of the vagina was diagnosed between 1996 and 2001 were studied. The mean age of women with primary invasive vaginal cancer was 70.1 years. Half of the patients had advanced stage carcinoma at the time of the diagnosis and 85% of patients had not had a Pap-smear in the last 15 years. Treatment consisted of radiotherapy or a combination of surgery and radiotherapy. Four patients out of six with advanced stage disease died in 30 months. In conclusion, the present study confirms that early detection of the disease could lead to more successful management and therefore better prognosis.