Vaginal cancer is a rare female genital cancer that makes up about 1-2% of the projected 8,600 cases of genital tract cancer in the US for women. Improvements in testing and the widespread availability of Pap smears and HPV tests have caused incidence rates to steadily decrease.
The vagina starts at the cervix and opens at the vulva. It has walls that collapse into each other and folds called labia that expand during sex or childbirth. The vaginal lining is made of squamous cells, and the vaginal wall is made of nerves, lymph vessels, muscle, and connective tissues. There are also glands near the opening of the vagina that produce mucus for lubrication.
Cancer begins when cells grow out of control, forming tumors that may be benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous). Pre-cancers are cells that appear abnormal and have a chance to develop into cancer. For vaginal cancer, this is called vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia (VAIN). It usually occurs in women who have gotten a hysterectomy or were treated for cervical cancer. VAIN is classified from grades 1-3, according to cancer risk.
The most common type of vaginal cancer is squamous cell carcinoma, which makes up about 90% of all cases. Adenocarcinomas of the vagina only account for 10% of all cases. Melanomas and sarcomas may also develop in the vagina, but cases are very rare.
Vaginal cancer may cause the following symptoms:
Women aged 21 and above should see their gynecologist once a year. But those experiencing symptoms like pelvic pain and irregular bleeding are advised by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) to undergo regular pelvic exams and Pap smears as their doctor may deem appropriate. This is a routine part of cervical cancer testing, but may also help discover vaginal cancer.
Other diagnostic tests include:
Treatments available for vaginal cancer are as follows:
Vaginal cancers can often be found early because there are standard screening protocols for genital cancers like cervical cancer, which may also detect them. Early detection is crucial because as cancer advances, treatments become more intense, and survival rates drop.
The ACS uses the SEER database to estimate the 5-year relative survival rates for vaginal cancer and categorizes them as either localized, regional or distant. At the localized stage, where cancer has not yet left the vaginal wall, a 69% survival rate is expected. When cancer spreads to nearby structures and lymph nodes in the regional stage, survival rates drop to 57%. And when it reaches the distant stage and spreads to other organs, this drops further to only 26%.
Seek a medical malpractice attorney for legal advice if you’ve been misdiagnosed or diagnosed late by your doctor. A late vaginal cancer diagnosis may lead to the need for a radical vaginectomy, which removes the entire vagina. If the cancer spreads to the other parts of the reproductive system, and no longer responds to treatments like chemo or radiation, a radical hysterectomy may even be necessary. This includes removing the vagina, cervix, and uterus. A woman who undergoes this procedure will no longer become fertile even if cancer is cured.
If you or a loved one have been misdiagnosed or diagnosed late with vaginal cancer in New York due to your doctor’s negligence, call the Porter Law Group. You may be a victim of medical malpractice. Our experienced trial lawyers and board-certified medical experts can evaluate your case for free, and help you recover financial compensation for your pain, decreased survival chances, and increased medical bills.
The Porter Law Group has a proven track record of recovering compensation for victims of medical malpractice due to misdiagnosis or delayed cancer diagnosis in New York. We work with medical experts who can evaluate your tests and records, and see if your cancer should have been caught sooner. Our medical malpractice lawyers have secured millions of dollars* for victims of medical negligence, and we stand ready to bring your case forward.
Patients may be eligible to sue medical staff if their vaginal cancer is diagnosed late. However, not all cases of late diagnosis can be considered medical malpractice. It is not enough to show that you’ve been injured to receive financial compensation. You need to establish that there was a doctor-patient relationship, that your doctor deviated from the expected standard of care for patients with similar conditions. And that this deviation was the proximate cause of your injury.
Medical negligence cases are complex, especially in New York. You need to deal with the daunting documentary and filing requirements and be aware of the statute of limitations within which to bring your claim forward. You will also need a medical expert who can testify that your doctor’s negligence was the reason for your injury.
The Porter Law Group works with experts in the medical field. We hire them to examine your case and see if you’ve been a victim of your doctor’s medical negligence. And our experienced medical malpractice lawyers can help you recover financial compensation for your pain, suffering, and medical bills.
Contact us at 833-PORTER9 or email us at info@porterlawteam.com to discuss the details of our experience representing other clients and the results we obtained in the past for clients who are suffering as you are. In many ways, our results speak for themselves, and we will stand ready to help you and your family in your time of greatest need.
Settlement – Prostate Cancer
44-year-old man diagnosed with incurable Stage IV prostate cancer due to physician's failure to order appropriate screening tests.
Confidential Settlement Reached Prior to Trial
Confidential Settlement Reached Prior to Trial
Confidential Settlement Reached Prior to Trial
