TriangleFOR PATIENTS · SOURCE READING
Surgery
Source: Vaginal Cancer Treatment (PDQ®)–Patient Version, National Cancer Institute.
Source updated: April 5, 2023 · Captured 2026-09-09.
Selected source text with whitespace normalised. This Triangle page is not an NCI PDQ summary. Independent clinical review is pending.
Context: Treatment Option Overview / The following types of treatment are used:
Surgery is a treatment option for both vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia (VaIN) and vaginal cancer.
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The following types of surgery may be used to treat VaIN:
Laser surgery: A surgical procedure that uses a laser beam (a narrow beam of intense light) as a knife to make bloodless cuts in tissue or to remove a surface lesion such as a tumor.
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Wide local excision: A surgical procedure that takes out the cancer and some of the healthy tissue around it.
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Vaginectomy: Surgery to remove all or part of the vagina. Skin grafts from other parts of the body may be needed to reconstruct the vagina.
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The following types of surgery may be used to treat vaginal cancer:
Wide local excision: A surgical procedure that takes out the cancer and some of the healthy tissue around it.
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Vaginectomy: Surgery to remove all or part of the vagina. Skin grafts from other parts of the body may be needed to reconstruct the vagina.
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Total hysterectomy: Surgery to remove the uterus, including the cervix. If the uterus and cervix are taken out through the vagina, the operation is called a vaginal hysterectomy. If the uterus and cervix are taken out through a large incision (cut) in the abdomen, the operation is called a total abdominal hysterectomy. If the uterus and cervix are taken out through a small incision in the abdomen using a laparoscope, the operation is called a total laparoscopic hysterectomy.
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Lymph node dissection: A surgical procedure in which lymph nodes are removed and a sample of tissue is checked under a microscope for signs of cancer. This procedure is also called lymphadenectomy. If the cancer is in the upper vagina, the pelvic lymph nodes may be removed. If the cancer is in the lower vagina, lymph nodes in the groin may be removed.
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Pelvic exenteration: Surgery to remove the lower colon, rectum, bladder, cervix, vagina, and ovaries. Nearby lymph nodes are also removed. Artificial openings (stoma) are made for urine and stool to flow from the body into a collection bag.
After the doctor removes all the cancer that can be seen at the time of the surgery, some patients may be given radiation therapy after surgery to kill any cancer cells that are left. Treatment given after the surgery, to lower the risk that the cancer will come back, is called adjuvant therapy.
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Preserved source evidence · Independent clinical review pending · Not medical advice