Key Statistics for Vaginal Cancer

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Vaginal cancer is rare. It accounts for 1% to 2% of cancers in the female genital tract, and a very small portion of cancers overall.

Vaginal cancer occurs mainly in older women. Women usually are round 69 years old when they are diagnosed; though some women will be younger and some will be older.

About 75% of vaginal cancers are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV).

For survival statistics related to vaginal cancer, see Survival Rates for Vaginal Cancer.

Visit the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Statistics Center for more key statistics.

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References

Developed by the American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team with medical review and contribution by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

Jhingran A, Russell AH, Seiden MV, et al. Chapter 84: Cancers of the Cervix, Vulva, and Vagina. In: Neiderhuber JE, Armitage JO, Doroshow JH, Kastan MB, Tepper JE, eds. Abeloff’s Clinical Oncology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA. Elsevier; 2020.

SEER*Explorer: An interactive website for SEER cancer statistics [Internet]. Surveillance Research Program, National Cancer Institute; 2024 Apr 17. [cited 2024 May 28]. Available from: https://seer.cancer.gov/statistics-network/explorer/. Data source(s): SEER Incidence Data, November 2023 Submission (1975-2021), SEER 22 registries. U.S. Mortality Data (1969-2022), National Center for Health Statistics, CDC.

Last Revised: September 23, 2024

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