Background: The long-term results of radiotherapy in primary carcinoma of the vagina are not well defined.
Patients and methods: The treatment results of 41 patients with primary malignancies of the vagina were analyzed. The mean follow-up period was 77.3 months (2.3-404 months). The predominant histology was squamous cell carcinoma, FIGO stages I: n = 7 (17.1%), II: n = 13 (31.7%), III: n = 13 (31.7%), and IVa: n = 8 (19.5%). Radiotherapy was the primary treatment for all patients. None of the patients had undergone prior surgery for vaginal carcinoma. The majority of patients received pelvic irradiation, including treatment of the inguinal lymphatics (median dose: 50 Gy). 26 patients received additional intravaginal brachytherapy.
Results: Overall, 21 patients (51.2%) achieved complete remission, 17 patients (41.5%) had partial responses, and three patients (7.3%) had no change or progressive disease. The total median survival of the analyzed patients was 41.3 months. The 1-year survival probability was 85.4%, the 5-year survival probability 40.6%, and the 10-year survival probability 27.2%. Univariate analysis revealed a survival advantage for earlier tumor stages (FIGO I and II) compared to advanced stages (FIGO III and IV), with a median survival of 58.1 months compared to 26.8 months. Treatment side effects were tolerable and easily managed.
Conclusion: Definite radiotherapy is the treatment of choice for primary carcinomas of the vagina. Considering that primary malignancies of the vagina are typically diseases of the elderly, it should be noted that radiotherapy is especially well tolerated in this population.