Vaginal Cancer

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Targeted Drug Therapy for Vaginal Cancer

Targeted drugs attack parts of vaginal cancer cells that make them different from normal cells. Some targeted drugs might be useful for treating vaginal cancers. Knowing the gene changes in a tumor helps doctors decide whether a targeted drug might help treat it.

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Drugs that target VEGF

Bevacizumab (Avastin) works by blocking a protein called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).

VEGF helps tumors form new blood vessels, a process called angiogenesis. Without blood supply, tumors have trouble growing and dividing. This drug can be used for vaginal cancers that have spread or come back after treatment. It can be used with chemotherapy or immunotherapy.

This drug is given as an IV infusion (into a vein).

This drug can cause problems with healing after surgery, so it is usually avoided for about a month before and after surgery.

Side effects can include:

  • High blood pressure
  • Swelling of the body
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Constipation
  • Low appetite
  • Low blood cell counts
  • Muscle or joint pain
  • Blood clots or bleeding
  • Kidney problems

Less common but serious side effects can include:

  • Infusion reactions (similar to an allergic reaction)
  • Ulcers or damage to the stomach and intestines
  • Severe bleeding
  • Life-threatening clots
  • Heart and kidney problems

It’s important to talk to your cancer care team about any side effects so they can be treated and the medication can be changed or stopped if needed.

Drugs that target HER2

Some vaginal cancer cells make too much of a protein called HER2, which helps cancer cells grow and divide.

Fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan (Enhertu) is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC). It can attach to cells with HER2 and deliver chemotherapy to those cells.

This drug is given IV (into a vein) typically once every 3 weeks.

Common side effects of fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan include:

  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Low energy
  • Hair loss
  • Changes in appetite
  • Low blood counts
  • Changes in blood tests (liver tests, potassium and sodium levels)
  • Muscle and joint pain
  • Cough

Less common but more serious side effects of this drug include:

  • Left ventricular dysfunction, decreased heart muscle strength
  • Lung problems, such as interstitial lung disease (ILD) and pneumonitis

Drugs that target tissue factor (TF)

Some cancer cells have TF on the surface. Tisotumab vedotin (Tivdak), an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), can find these cancer cells and bring a chemo drug (MMAE) directly to them.

This drug was studied in people with cervical cancer. Because vaginal cancer is relatively uncommon, chemo drugs approved for cervical cancer are commonly used to treat vaginal cancer as well. Tisotumab vedotin can be used by itself to treat late-stage vaginal cancer that has come back, after initial chemo treatment.

This drug is given IV (into a vein) typically once every 3 weeks.

Common side effects of tisotumab vedotin include:

  • Tiredness
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Hair loss
  • Bleeding
  • Eye irritation or pain
  • Changes in bowel habits
  • Skin rashes
  • Nerve damage (neuropathy)
  • Low blood counts
  • Changes in blood tests (liver tests, kidney tests, sodium or magnesium levels)
  • Muscle and joint pain

Less common but serious side effects can include vision change or loss.

Because this medicine can affect your eye health, people should have regular eye exams while taking this drug and tell their healthcare team right away if they have any eye symptoms. Eye drops are given to lower the risk of side effects while getting this treatment.

Drugs that target RET

Some vaginal cancers have changes in the RET gene. These gene changes cause them to make abnormal RET proteins, which signal cancer cells to grow and divide.

Selpercatinib (Retevmo) helps block cancers with these changes from growing.

This drug is given as a tablet or capsule by mouth twice a day.

Common side effects of selpercatinib include:

  • Swelling
  • High blood pressure
  • Skin rash
  • Changes in blood test results such as blood sugar, liver and kidney tests, and cholesterol
  • Belly pain
  • Changes in bowel habits
  • Dry mouth
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Low blood counts
  • Tiredness
  • Muscle and joint pain

Serious but rare side effects include:

  • Liver damage
  • Lung damage
  • Bleeding
  • Life-threatening high blood pressure
  • Delays in wound healing

It’s important to talk to your cancer care team about any side effects so they can be treated and the medication can be changed or stopped if needed.

Drugs that target TRK

Some vaginal cancers have changes in one of the NTRK genes. These gene changes cause them to make abnormal proteins, which can lead to abnormal cell growth. Drugs that target these changes include:

  • Larotrectinib (Vitrakvi)
  • Entrectinib (Rozlytrek)
  • Repotrectinib (Augtyro)

These drugs are taken as capsules, once or twice a day.

Side effects of TRK inhibitors include:

  • Swelling of the body
  • Skin rashes
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Changes in appetite and weight
  • Constipation
  • Low blood cell counts
  • Liver damage
  • Muscle and joint pain
  • Broken or fragile bones
  • Cough
  • Fever
  • Dizziness (especially with repotrectinib)

Less common but more serious side effects can include:

  • Mental changes, such as confusion, or changes in mood
  • Changes in sleep
  • Changes in heart rhythm or function
  • Vision changes

It’s important to talk to your cancer care team about any side effects so they can be treated and the medication can be changed or stopped if needed.

More information about targeted therapy

To learn more about how targeted drugs are used to treat cancer, see Targeted Cancer Therapy.

To learn about some of the side effects listed here and how to manage them, see Managing Cancer-related Side Effects.

side by side logos for American Cancer Society and American Society of Clinical Oncology

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

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.

Padrón LT, Schröder C, Marinova M, et al. Targeted therapies in primary vaginal cancer. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol. 2025;151(8):228. Published 2025 Aug 11. 

Last Revised: October 23, 2026

American Cancer Society medical information is copyrighted material. For reprint requests, please see our Content Usage Policy.

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