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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.
How can you stop cancer before it starts?
Discover how 16 factors affect your cancer risk and how you can take action with our interactive tool – It’s My Life! Presented in partnership with Desjardins.
