What is the Vagina? What is cancer of the Vagina?

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(Free-Press-Release.com) January 29, 2005 -- What is the Vagina?

It is the female organ used for the discharge of menstrual flow, for copulation, and the passageway through which babies are born. The vagina is the passageway leading to the cervix. The vagina connects the cervix and the vulva. It is a muscular canal lined with mucous membranes that extend from the outside of the body between the vulva and the anus to the cervix of the uterus. In a woman's pelvis, the vagina and it's opening to the cervix is sandwiched between the bladder in front and the rectum in back. The inner lining of the vagina is made up of "squamous" cell, the same type of cell which is found in the mouth. This type of cell is excellent at resisting abrasion, and healing quickly after an injury. This is in contrast with the type of cells which are in the inner cervix and uterus, called "columnar" cells, which fold into glands and produce mucous. In the vagina, the squamous lining cells do not produce any mucous, but a moistening fluid does transverse to the surface of the vagina from glands deep within it, located near the muscle layer of the vagina. This is important because squamous cells give rise to different cancers than the glandular cells, and the cancers found in the vagina are very similar to their counterparts in the mouth and anus. The vagina proper does not include the clitoris, exit of the urination tube ("urethra") or the "vaginal lips" - these are classified as part of the vulva and cancers in these areas are a different topic. The vagina has a rich blood supply, becoming engorged with sexual stimulation. This blood supply can carry cancer cells to other areas of the body. The vagina also has an elaborate system of bean-sized filters to purify blood that runs through it, called "lymph glands." These lymph glands are connected by lymph channels, which is another way that cancer or infections may spread outward from the vagina. As a women ages, the lack of estrogen results in "dystrophic" changes in the vagina, with subsequent drying out and inelasticity, this can in part be prevented by estrogen pills or creams.

What is cancer of the Vagina?

Normally, vaginal cells grow quickly when girls are in the womb and again at puberty, but after full adult growth they divide rarely. In the adult, vaginal cells only divide to replace those lost to injury or old age. The control of cells division is under tight regulation by the genes - the genetic material within each cell. Amazingly, each cell in the body contains within it's genes the total information necessary to make a whole new human body. Sometimes an abnormal cell may arise which divides out of control. This will then form a tumor . A tumor is simply a swelling, and does not necessarily mean cancer. If a tumor only grows in it's local area, it is called "benign" and is not cancer. If, however, it has the capability to spread to other areas of the body , then it is called "malignant" and is cancer. Vaginal cancer starts in just one single cell, but this quickly divides to form many similar cancer cells, which continue to divide. ..

From:http://www.canceranswers.com/