Didactics-Updates in the Treatment of Vaginal Cancer

Video Transcription

Video Summary

In this video, the speaker discusses vaginal cancers, which represent about 2% of all gynecological malignancies. The most common type of vaginal cancer is squamous cell carcinoma, while adenocarcinomas account for about 14 to 18% of cases. The prevalence of HPV is an important factor, with HPV-positive patients having a higher likelihood of getting squamous cell carcinomas. The prognosis for vaginal cancers is determined by factors such as FIGO staging, PET CT, and MRI. The mainstay treatment for vaginal cancer is radiation therapy, which includes external beam treatment and brachytherapy. Brachytherapy can be either intercavitary or interstitial, depending on the thickness of the lesion after external beam treatment. Surgery has a limited role in treating vaginal cancers, and chemotherapy may be used in combination with radiation therapy. Overall, the speaker emphasizes the importance of both external beam and brachytherapy in the treatment of vaginal cancers.

Asset Subtitle

Anuja Jhingran
October 2019

Keywords

vaginal cancers

squamous cell carcinoma

adenocarcinomas

radiation therapy

brachytherapy