Chemotherapy for Vaginal Cancer
Chemo (chemotherapy) uses drugs to treat cancer. These drugs are usually given into a vein (IV) or taken by mouth and can reach and destroy cancer cells anywhere in the body. It might be used to treat vaginal cancer that has spread or be given before surgery to try to shrink a tumor.
How is chemo used to treat vaginal cancer?
Systemic chemotherapy drugs enter the bloodstream and travel throughout the body. These drugs might be given intravenously (into a vein) or taken by mouth.
Depending on where the cancer has spread, chemo can be given by itself or at the same time as radiation. In some cases, chemo might be given before surgery to try to shrink a tumor.
Chemo drugs commonly used for vaginal cancer
Because vaginal cancer is rare, there haven’t been many studies to see which chemo drug is best. Most often, doctors use the same types of drugs that are used for cervical cancer. Drugs that have been used include:
- Cisplatin
- Carboplatin
- Paclitaxel
- Gemcitabine
- Capecitabine
- Mitomycin
- Topotecan
- Docetaxel
- Fluorouracil (5-FU)
- Pemetrexed
- Vinorelbine
- Irinotecan
Sometimes, more than one drug is used, or chemo might be used in combination with other treatments such as radiation, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy.
Possible side effects
Chemo drugs affect cells that grow fast. Cancer cells multiply quickly, but so do other healthy cells in the body, including the blood-forming cells, hair cells, and cells that make up the lining of your gut. When chemo damages these fast-growing healthy cells, it can lead to side effects.
These side effects vary depending on the type of chemo drugs, the dose, and the length of time they are given.
Your cancer care team will watch you closely for side effects. Ask your cancer care team about the chemo drugs you will receive and what side effects you can expect.
Some common short-term side effects of chemo drugs include:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Hair loss
- Mouth sores
Chemo can damage your bone marrow, where new blood cells are made. This can lower your blood cell counts, leading to:
- Increased chance of infection from having too few white blood cells
- Easy bleeding or bruising from low platelets
- Fatigue or shortness of breath from low red blood cells
Other side effects can occur depending on which drug is used.
Managing short-term side effects
Most short-term side effects go away after treatment is finished.
During treatment, there are ways to make these side effects less severe. For example, you can take medicines to help prevent and reduce nausea and vomiting or have a transfusion if your red blood cell or platelet count drops too low. Tell your cancer care team about any side effects you have so they can help you control them.
Long-term side effects can last for months or years after treatment. Late effects can take months or years to develop after treatment.
For example, some chemo drugs can increase the risk of developing another type of cancer, such as leukemia, although this is rare. This small increase in risk should be weighed against the potential benefit of chemotherapy as a part of your treatment plan.
For more on the possible long-term and late effects of treatment, see After Treatment for Vaginal Cancer.
Certain chemo drugs called platinum agents (cisplatin, carboplatin) have specific side effects.
Neuropathy: Cisplatin can cause neuropathy (nerve damage), leading to numbness, tingling, or pain in the hands and feet. This often goes away or gets better once treatment is stopped, but it might last a long time in some people.
Hearing damage: Platinum chemo can sometimes affect hearing, especially high-pitched sounds.
Kidney damage (nephrotoxicity): This can also occur after treatment. Getting lots of fluids before and after you take these drugs can help prevent this.
Ovary damage: Platinum chemo can also damage the ovaries, which can affect their ability to make sex hormones like estrogen. If you keep your uterus during treatment, this might affect your periods and fertility. Low estrogen can impact sexual desire, sexual pleasure, energy, and your brain’s ability to create new memories or complete tasks.
More information about chemotherapy
For more general information about how chemotherapy is used to treat cancer, see Chemotherapy.
To learn about some of the side effects listed here and how to manage them, see Managing Cancer-related Side Effects.
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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).
Karam A, Berek JS, Kidd EA. Vaginal Cancer. UpToDate. 2026. Accessed at https://www.uptodate.com/contents/vaginal-cancer on September 8, 2026.
National Cancer Institute. Vaginal Cancer Treatment (PDQ). Accessed at https://www.cancer.gov/types/vaginal/hp/vaginal-treatment-pdq on September 8, 2026.
National Comprehensive Cancer Network. NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology: Vaginal Cancer Version 2.2026 – December 4, 2025. Accessed at https://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/pdf/vaginal.pdf on September 8, 2026.
Rajagopalan MS, Xu KM, Lin JF, Sukumvanich P, Krivak TC, Beriwal S. Adoption and impact of concurrent chemoradiation therapy for vaginal cancer: a National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) study. Gynecol Oncol. 2014;135(3):495-502.
Last Revised: October 23, 2026
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