What to Know About Chemotherapy for Vaginal Cancer
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. For this treatment, you will see a gynecologic oncologist or a medical oncologist. A medical oncologist is a doctor who specializes in using drugs to treat cancer.
The chemotherapy may be combined with radiation. This is called radiosensitization or concomitant chemoradiotherapy.
The chemotherapy is given to help the radiation work better. It also reduces the chance that the cancer will spread. It may be used by itself or with radiation. Or it may be used before or after surgery.
Chemotherapy may also be used in women whose cancer has spread and who can’t have radiation or surgery.
How You Take It
You may take these drugs by an IV (intravenously) into a vein. Or you may take them by taking a pill. In some cases, chemotherapy drugs may be in a cream or lotion applied to the affected area of your body.
Chemotherapy given by IV or pill is a systemic treatment. The drugs travel all through you body in the bloodstream. Chemotherapy given as a cream or lotion is local treatment. Some of the drug, though, is absorbed in the body systemically. Most women with vaginal cancer have chemotherapy in an outpatient part of the hospital. Some have it at the doctor’s office. Others have it at home. In some cases you may need to stay in the hospital during treatment. It depends on your health or the drugs you take.
You receive chemotherapy in cycles. This means you will be treated for a time with chemotherapy and then you will have a rest period. Each treatment and rest period make up one cycle. You’ll likely have more than one cycle of treatment. Your doctor will explain what your treatment plan will be and what you can expect. The length of each treatment period differs. It depends on the type of drug you take. With many types of chemotherapy, monthly treatments are common. Sometimes you will get chemotherapy more often.
Common Drugs Used
These are common chemotherapy drugs used to treat vaginal cancer:
- Adrucil or Efudex (fluorouracil, 5-FU)
- Cytoxan (cyclophosphamide)
- Ifex (ifosfamide)
- Paraplatin (carboplatin)
- Platinol (cisplatin)
- Taxol (paclitaxel)
If you receive chemotherapy and radiation together, you will likely have low doses of Platinol (cisplatin) or Adrucil (fluorouracil, 5-FU), or both, with radiation.
What to Expect After Chemotherapy for Vaginal Cancer
Chemotherapy attacks cells that divide quickly. Therefore your healthy blood cells and other rapidly dividing cells can be affected. Side effects from chemotherapy depend on the kind of drugs you take. Most side effects go away a few days or weeks after your treatment ends. Ask your nurse or doctor about ways to help reduce your side effects and help recover from chemotherapy. Here are some possible side effects from chemotherapy used to treat vaginal cancer. Ask your doctor which are most likely for you.
- Loss of appetite
- Loss of hair
- Mouth sores
- Nausea
- Numbness (peripheral neuropathy)
- Sudden menopause, which can cause hot flashes, mood swings, and other symptoms
- Tiredness
- Vomiting
Other side effects may occur. These vary, depending on the type of chemotherapy you are using. Check with your doctor to find out more about possible effects from the drugs you take.
