If vaginal cancer spreads

Cancer cells can spread from the vagina to other parts of the body. This spread is called metastasis.

Understanding how a type of cancer usually grows and spreads helps your healthcare team plan your treatment and future care. If vaginal cancer spreads, it can spread to the following:

• vaginal wall
• tissues around the vagina
• pelvic wall
• lymph nodes in the pelvis or groin
• bladder
• urethra
• rectum
• lungs, bones, liver

Spread of other cancers to the vagina is more common than primary cancer of the vagina. Cancers that may spread to the vagina include:

• cervical (most common)
• vulvar
• uterine
• ovarian
• urethral
• bladder
• rectal
• malignant trophoblastic disease

If a cancer involves both the cervix and the vagina, it is considered to be a cervical cancer. If a cancer involves both the vulva and the vagina, it is considered to be a vulvar cancer.