Radiation therapy for vaginal cancer

Last medical review:

Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays or particles to destroy cancer cells.

Radiation therapy is usually used to treat vaginal cancer. Your healthcare team will use what they know about the cancer and about your health to plan the type and amount of radiation, and when and how it is given.

You may have radiation therapy to:

  • shrink a tumour before other treatments such as surgery or chemotherapy (called neoadjuvant therapy)
  • destroy cancer cells left behind after surgery to reduce the risk that the cancer will come back (called adjuvant therapy)
  • relieve pain or control the symptoms of advanced vaginal cancer (called palliative therapy)

Radiation therapy and chemotherapy can be given during the same time period to treat vaginal cancer. This is called chemoradiation. Some chemotherapy drugs can help make radiation work better by making cancer cells more sensitive to radiation. Combining chemotherapy and radiation therapy can make radiation therapy more effective than using it alone.

Types of radiation therapy

The following types of radiation therapy are most commonly used to treat vaginal cancer.

External radiation therapy

During external radiation therapy, a machine directs radiation through the skin to the tumour and some of the tissue around it. External radiation therapy is also called external beam radiation therapy.

External radiation therapy can be used along with brachytherapy (a type of internal radiation therapy) to treat most stages of vaginal cancer. It may also be given alone to treat lymph nodes in the groin and pelvis or to areas where the cancer has come back (recurred).

Find out more about external radiation therapy.

Brachytherapy

Brachytherapy is a type of internal radiation therapy. A sealed container of a radioactive substance called an implant is placed in a body cavity or right inside the tumour. The radiation destroys the cancer cells over time.

Brachytherapy is usually combined with external radiation therapy to treat vaginal cancer.

Intracavitary brachytherapy is the most common type of brachytherapy used to treat vaginal cancer. It involves placing the implant in a special applicator inside the vagina.

Interstitial brachytherapy places the implant right into a tumour.

Find out more about internal radiation therapy.

Side effects of radiation therapy

During radiation therapy, your healthcare team protects healthy cells in the treatment area as much as possible. Side effects of radiation therapy will depend mainly on the size of the area being treated, the specific area or organs being treated, the total dose of radiation, the type of radiation therapy and the treatment schedule. Tell your healthcare team if you have side effects that you think are from radiation therapy. The sooner you tell them of any problems, the sooner they can suggest ways to help you deal with them.

These are common side effects of radiation therapy for vaginal cancer:

Find out more about radiation therapy

Find out more about radiation therapy and the side effects of radiation therapy. To make the decisions that are right for you, ask your healthcare team questions about radiation therapy.

Expert review and references

  • Tien Le , MD, FRCSC, DABOG
  • Klopp AH, Eifel PJ, Berek JS, Konstantinopoulos PA . Cancer of the cervix, vagina and vulva. DeVita VT Jr, Lawrence TS, Rosenberg SA. Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology. 10th ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2015: 72:1013-1047.
  • Levine DA, Dizon DS, Yashar CM, Barakat RR, Berchuch A, Markman M, Randall ME. Handbook for Principles and Practice of Gynecologic Oncology. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer; 2015.
  • Oleszewski K . Vulvar and vaginal cancer. Yarbro, CH, Wujcki D, & Holmes Gobel B. (eds.). Cancer Nursing: Principles and Practice. 7th ed. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett; 2011: 69: pp. 1719-1739.
  • Jhingran A . Updates in the treatment of vaginal cancer. International Journal of Gynecological Cancer. BMJ; 2022: 32:344-351.
  • Jewell EL. Vaginal Cancer Treatment Protocols . eMedicine/Medscape; 2021: https://emedicine.medscape.com/.
  • PDQ® Adult Treatment Editorial Board. Vaginal Cancer Treatment Overview(PDQ®)–Patient Version. Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute; 2022: https://www.cancer.gov/.
  • PDQ® Adult Treatment Editorial Board. Vaginal Cancer Treatment Overview (PDQ®)–Health Professional Version . Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute; 2022: https://www.cancer.gov/.
  • American Cancer Society. Treating Vaginal Cancer . 2018: https://www.cancer.org/.
  • British Columbia Cancer Agency. Vaginal Cancer. 2021: http://www.bccancer.bc.ca/.
  • American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) . Cancer.net: Vaginal Cancer . 2021 .

Medical disclaimer

The information that the Canadian Cancer Society provides does not replace your relationship with your doctor. The information is for your general use, so be sure to talk to a qualified healthcare professional before making medical decisions or if you have questions about your health.

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