Staging is the process of finding out how far the cancer has spread. It is very important because your treatment options and the outlook for your recovery and survival (prognosis) depend on the stage of your cancer.

The stage of most vaginal cancers is most often described using the FIGO (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) System of Staging combined with the American Joint Committee on Cancer TNM system. This system classifies the diseases in Stages 0 through IV depending on the extent of the tumor (T), whether the cancer has spread to lymph nodes (N) and whether it has spread to distant sites (M for metastasis). Vaginal melanoma is not staged using this system. It is staged like melanoma of the skin. Information about melanoma staging can be found in our document: Melanoma Skin Cancer.

Tumor extent (T)

Lymph node spread of cancer (N)

Distant spread of cancer (M)

Stage 0 (Tis, N0, M0)

In this stage, cancer cells are only in the top layer of cells lining the vagina (the epithelium) and have not grown into the deeper layers of the vagina. Cancers of this stage cannot spread to other parts of the body. Stage 0 vaginal cancer is also called carcinoma in situ (CIS) or vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia 3 (VAIN 3).

Stage I (T1, N0, M0)

The cancer has grown through the top layer of cell but it has not grown out of the vagina and into nearby structures. It has not spread to nearby lymph nodes or to distant sites.

Stage II (T2, N0, M0)

The cancer has spread to the connective tissues next to the vagina but has not spread to the wall of the pelvis, to other organs, or to lymph nodes. (The pelvis is the internal cavity that contains the internal female reproductive organs, rectum, bladder, and parts of the large intestine.)

Stage III (T1,2, N1, M0; or T3, any N, M0)

Cancer has spread to the wall of the pelvis (T3) and/or to lymph nodes nearby (N1). It has not spread to distant sites.

Stage IVA (T4, Any N, M0)

Cancer has spread to organs next to the vagina (such as the bladder or rectum). It may or may not have spread to lymph nodes. It has not spread to distant sites.

Stage IVB (Any T, Any N, M1)

Cancer has spread to distant organs such as the lungs.

FIGO stages

FIGO staging is largely based on the size and extent of the tumor (T):

Survival by stage

The 5-year survival rate refers to the percentage of patients who live at least 5 years after their cancer is diagnosed. Five-year rates are used to produce a standard way of discussing prognosis. Of course, many people live much longer than 5 years. Five-year relative survival rates assumes that people will die of other causes and compares the observed survival with that expected for people without vaginal cancer. That means that relative survival only talks about deaths from vaginal cancer. The numbers below are based on patients with vaginal cancer diagnosed from 1988 to 2001.

Keep in mind that 5-year survival rates are based on patients diagnosed and initially treated more than 5 years ago. Improvements in treatment may result in a more favorable outlook for women more recently diagnosed with vaginal cancer.

Last Medical Review: 12/30/2008
Last Revised: 09/14/2009