The exact cause of most vaginal cancers is not known. But scientists have found that the disease is associated with a number of other conditions that described in the section, "What are the risk factors for vaginal cancer?" A great deal of research is now underway to learn more about how these risk factors cause cells of the vagina to become cancerous.

Research has shown that substances called tumor suppressor gene products are made by normal cells to prevent them from growing too rapidly and becoming cancers. Two proteins (E6 and E7) produced by high-risk (like 16 and 18) HPV (human papilloma virus) types can interfere with the functioning of known tumor suppressor gene products.

As mentioned in the section on risk factors, women exposed to diethylstilbestrol (DES) as a fetus (that is, their mothers took DES during pregnancy) are at increased risk for developing clear cell carcinoma. DES also increases the likelihood of vaginal adenosis (gland-type cells in the vaginal lining rather than the usual squamous cells). Most women with vaginal adenosis never develop vaginal clear cell carcinoma. However, those with a rare type of adenosis (called atypical tuboendometrial adenosis) do have an increased risk of developing this cancer.

Last Medical Review: 12/30/2008
Last Revised: 05/14/2009