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For the most up to date information on this topic, please visit jeanhailes.org.au
Key takeaways
- Vaginal cancer is rare. It affects about 100 people in Australia each year.
- Symptoms may include lumps or swelling inside your vagina, bloody discharge and painful sex.
- Talk to your doctor if you notice any of these symptoms. They may not be due to cancer, but it’s important to check.
- As with many cancers, early detection leads to the best treatment outcomes.
Key takeaways
- Vaginal cancer is rare. It affects about 100 people in Australia each year.
- Symptoms may include lumps or swelling inside your vagina, bloody discharge and painful sex.
- Talk to your doctor if you notice any of these symptoms. They may not be due to cancer, but it’s important to check.
- As with many cancers, early detection leads to the best treatment outcomes.
What is vaginal cancer?
Vaginal cancer is one of the rarest gynaecological cancers diagnosed in Australia, affecting about 100 people each year.
It’s more common in people aged over 60, but younger people can get vaginal cancer too.
Vaginal cancer is one of the rarest gynaecological cancers in Australia.
There are 2 main types of vaginal cancer:
- primary vaginal cancer, which starts in the vagina. This is rare.
- secondary vaginal cancer, which spreads to the vagina from other parts of the body (usually the cervix). This is more common than primary vaginal cancer.
Different types of primary vaginal cancer
This is the most common vaginal cancer and accounts for 85% of cases. It starts in the thin, flat (squamous) cells that line the vagina. It usually affects people aged between 50 and 70.
This cancer starts in the mucus-producing (glandular) cells of the vagina. It usually affects people under 20 years of age.
This is a rare form of vaginal cancer that starts in the cells that give skin its colour (melanocytes). Note that this cancer is not related to UV radiation from the sun.
This cancer is also rare. It starts in the muscle, fat and other tissue deep in the wall of the vagina.
Symptoms of vaginal cancer
Many people don’t have any symptoms in the early stages of vaginal cancer. But you may notice:
- unusual lumps or swelling inside your vagina
- bloody discharge that’s not related to your period
- painful sex (dyspareunia)
- bleeding after sex
- pain in your pelvic area or rectum
- blood in your wee, a change in the colour of your wee (usually a brown-ish colour), weeing often or weeing more than usual at night.
See your doctor if you notice any of these symptoms. They may be due to other conditions, but it’s important to check.
What causes vaginal cancer?
The exact cause of vaginal cancer is not known, but it may be associated with:
- human papillomavirus (HPV)
- having a precancerous condition called vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN), where abnormal cells develop in the lining of the
- vagina
- having cervical cancer, or a pre-cancerous cervical condition, in the past
- smoking
- exposure to a drug called diethylstilbestrol (DES) in utero – this drug was given to some women from the 1940s to 1970s to prevent miscarriage.
How is vaginal cancer diagnosed?
Your doctor will ask about your symptoms, medical history and family health history. They may also:
- check the inside of your vagina for lumps and swelling
- do a cervical screening test to check cells inside your vagina and cervix
- take a sample (biopsy) of the abnormal area of your vagina and send it to a laboratory for testing
- check your groin, pelvic area and rectum for swollen glands.
If your results suggest you may have vaginal cancer, your doctor will refer you to a gynaecological oncologist straight away.
Your specialist may recommend further procedures and tests to check if the cancer has spread to other parts of your body. For example:
- a colposcopy – to look closely at your vagina, cervix and vulva
- a cystoscopy – a procedure to check your bladder and urethra
- a proctoscopy – a procedure to check inside your rectum
- a chest X-ray
- blood tests
- imaging tests.
Treatments for vaginal cancer
Vaginal cancer treatment depends on how advanced the cancer is. It may include:
- surgery
- radiotherapy
- chemotherapy
- palliative treatment.
Medical treatment, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, can cause menopause.
Can you reduce your risk for vaginal cancer?
While there isn’t a screening test for vaginal cancer, you can lower your risk by:
- not smoking
- having regular cervical screening tests
- getting immunised against human papillomavirus (HPV).
When to see your doctor about vaginal cancer
It’s important to see your doctor if you notice any symptoms of vaginal cancer. In most cases, early detection and diagnosis lead to good outcomes.
More resources on vaginal cancer
For more information about vaginal cancer, visit the:
If you would like to speak to a nurse for general information and support, call
Cancer Council on 13 11 20 (9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday).
Personal stories about gynaecological cancers
Review process
Our review process
This information has been reviewed by clinical experts and is based on the latest evidence.
Our content review process ensures our health information is accurate, trustworthy, current and useful.
We regularly check our information to make sure it reflects the latest clinical guidelines and key findings from large, reliable studies.
Where possible, we focus on Australian research to make our information more relevant locally.
Experts play a key role in reviewing our content. Clinicians at Jean Hailes check information for accuracy and real‑world relevance. These include GPs, gynaecologists, endocrinologists, psychologists and allied health professionals.
We also work with partner organisations, independent specialists and people with lived experience to make sure our content reflects both expert knowledge and the experiences of the community.
