Characteristics and survival of primary vaginal malignancy: an analysis of the German nationwide cancer registry data

Abstract

Background: Vaginal neoplasms are rare. To study the survival of patients depending on tumour characteristics and age, the data from the national cancer registries in Germany were analysed.

Methods: In a retrospective analysis, data from 2006 to 2015 on disease stage, survival, and factors that might affect prognosis were analysed.

Results: Altogether, out of 4004 datasets, 2194 were deemed adequate to be included in the analysis. Overall survival at 5 years (5YSR) and relative survival (5RSR) were 48.6% (95%CI 45.4-52.1%) and 58.7% (95%CI 55.3-61.2%) for carcinomas, but significantly worse at 20.2% (95%CI 8.3-32.0%) and 24.2% (95%CI 16.4-32.0%) for melanomas and 38.3% (95%CI 23.3-53.5%) and 44.4% (95%CI 31.5-56.8%) for sarcomas. 5YSR and 5RSR correlated significantly with FIGO stages (5YSR: 66.9-10.1%; 5RSR: 81.7-11.9%, p = 0.04). Furthermore, survival depended on the absence of LN metastases (5RSR: 59.1% vs. 38.0%, p < 0.001), and the tumour grading had an influence (5RSR: 83.7-52.1%). We also noted that prognosis was worse for older patients ≥75 years (5RSR:51.2%) than for patients <55 years (62.2%) and 55-74 years of age (61.6%).

Conclusion: Unless LN metastases, local advanced tumours and G3 grading are associated with a worse prognosis. Relative survival of older patients decreases, perhaps indicating that treatment compromises have been made.

Keywords: Age; Epidemiology; Survival; Vaginal cancer.

Fig. 1

Results of the Kaplan–Meier analysis show that overall survival is significantly different between FIGO stages (log-rank test p = 0.04)

Fig. 2

The annual relative survival rates and 95% confidence intervals for the patient groups according to FIGO stages I–IVa/b

Fig. 3

The survival plots for patients in the three age groups did not exceed the 95% confidence intervals