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Overview - Vaginal cancer

Diagram of the pelvic area with labels showing the vagina, cervix, womb, fallopian tubes and ovaries. The vagina is below the womb and cervix.
  • Vaginal cancer is a very rare cancer that's found anywhere in the vagina. It's most common in women aged 75 and over.
  • Anyone with a vagina can get vaginal cancer.
  • The vagina is a tube between the vulva and the opening of the womb (cervix).
  • Vaginal cancer is nearly always caused by an infection from certain types of the human papillomavirus (HPV).
  • It's often found and prevented by attending cervical screening, which aims to find and treat abnormalities before they turn into cancer.
  • Vaginal cancer usually grows very slowly and how serious it is depends on how big it is, if it has spread and your general health.

Important: Get your symptoms checked

It's important to get any symptoms of vaginal cancer checked as soon as possible.

Page last reviewed: 07 November 2023
Next review due: 07 November 2026