Precancerous Vaginal Conditions

What are Precancerous Conditions?

Cancer starts when cells begin to grow out of control. Cells in nearly any part of the body can become cancerous and spread to other parts.

Cancer is usually named based on the part of the body where it’s first detected. Vaginal cancer is a very rare type of cancer that forms in a woman’s vagina. The vagina leads from a woman’s cervix to the outside of her body. Vaginal cancer is only one of several types of cancer that can develop on a woman’s reproductive organs. The others include cervical, endometrial, ovarian, and vulvar cancer.

Vaginal cancer can be treated and is often cured. It is easiest to treat if it is located only on the vagina and has not spread to any other areas of the body. Like vulvar cancer, vaginal cancer is rare – so rare that together, both vulvar and vaginal cancers account for less than seven percent of all the cancers of the women’s reproductive organs that are diagnosed every year.

Most vaginal cancers form in another part of the body and later spread to the vagina. These cancers are called secondary vaginal cancer. In these cases, cancer has usually spread from another cancer of the female reproductive system, such as endometrial or cervical cancer. In some very rare cases, cancer can form in the vagina without having spread from another location. If this is the case, the cancer is referred to as primary vaginal cancer.

Vaginal Cancer starts in the vagina. There are many different types of vaginal cancer, but the most common is called squamous cell carcinoma, and it starts in the lining of the vagina.

Precancerous Vaginal Conditions like vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia (or VaIN) is a condition in which the skin cells of the vulva develop precancerous cells. The vulva is the external area of a woman’s genitals, including the clitoris, the labia majora, and the labia minora. It forms the opening to the vagina and urethra.

Precancerous Conditions like VaIN are not cancer, and not all cases become problematic. Many cases resolve without any treatment. However, if the condition is ignored, it can become cancerous after several years.

Vaginal Intraepithelial Neoplasia Symptoms

Not all women with Precancerous Vaginal Conditions like VaIN experience symptoms. However, some common signs include:

• Itching, burning, or tingling in the genitals
• Burning during urination
• Vulvar pain
• Painful intercourse
• Warty or raised texture on the vulvar skin
• Red, white, or discoloration of the vulvar skin

Risk Factors for VaIN

• Precancerous Vaginal Conditions like VaIN can occur in women of all ages, but it typically only affects women over age 20. VIN is much more commonly found in women over age 35.
• Weakened immune system. Disease, certain medications, or hereditary factors can cause immunodeficiency.
• Smoking cigarettes. Smoking has also been shown to weaken the immune system.
• Some bone marrow and blood disorders

The different types of VaIN

There are two main types of VaIN.

Diagnosing VaIN

If you’re experiencing any changes or symptoms in your vulva, please make an appointment with your gynecologist. Your gynecologist will conduct a pelvic exam and pap test and may examine your vulvar skin under a colposcope, which is a special magnification lens.

Your OB-GYN may also take a biopsy of your vulvar cells. This process may be uncomfortable. However, a local anesthetic is usually injected into the area before the procedure. Your doctor will then send the specimen to pathology to test the cells for any abnormalities.

VaIN can also be classified as low-grade or high-grade. Low-grade means the cells look almost like normal cells. Lower-grade cells are slow-growing and less likely to change into cancer cells. High-grade means the cells look less normal or more abnormal. High-grade VaIN involves either the mucosa’s outer third or the epithelium’s entire thickness.

Treating VaIN

Your doctor will recommend a treatment plan based on the severity of your condition. The severity depends on the biopsy result, the risk for cancer, and the size of the area affected by the cell changes.

If the cell changes are mild, your doctor may want to monitor them with exams. In many cases, the abnormalities will resolve without medical intervention. Your doctor will want to schedule regular exams to track the condition’s progress.

Women at higher risk for cancer (for example, women with a weakened immune system or smokers) will probably require treatment to prevent cancerous changes. If you do smoke, you may be able to boost your immune system to fight the abnormal cell changes by quitting.

The treatment for these potentially precancerous lesions includes surgical removal, laser surgery, and medications, including estrogen hormone therapy. Laser surgery is the use of a focused beam of light that burns cancer off the vaginal wall.

VaIN can be effectively treated with:

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We invite you to establish care with Dr. Aliabadi. Please make an appointment online or call us at (844) 863-6700.

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