A 35-year-old client with vaginal cancer asks the nurse, “What is the usual treatment for this type of cancer?” Which treatment should the nurse name?
A. Surgery
B. Chemotherapy
C. Radiation
D. Immunotherapy
Correct Answer: C. Radiation
The usual treatment for vaginal cancer is external or intravaginal radiation therapy.
Option A: Less often, surgery is performed. Surgery is usually only used for small stage I or II vaginal cancers and for cancers that were not cured with radiation.
Option B: Chemotherapy typically is prescribed only if vaginal cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, which is rare.
Option D: Immunotherapy isn’t used to treat vaginal cancer. It is a type of cancer treatment that helps the immune system fight cancer. Immunotherapy is a type of biological therapy. Biological therapy is a type of treatment that uses substances made from living organisms to treat cancer.