title: [Primary adenocarcinoma of vagina--attaching 24 cases clinical analysis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The incidence of primary vaginal adenocarcinoma was lower and its treatment was difficult and its prognosis was worse. This study was designed to explore the clinical characters, treatment, prognosis of primary vaginal adenocarcinoma in this paper as the incidence of primary vaginal adenocarcinoma was lower, its treatment was difficult and its prognosis was worse.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 1964 to 1999, twenty-four patients were reviewed retrospectively in our hospital.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The main clinical symptoms were vaginal bleeding and discharge. The median age was 49 years old. Five patients were classified as stage I, 10 patients were stage II, 5 patients were stage III, and 4 patients were stage IV. The lesion was located in the anterior wall in 8(33.3%) patients, the posterior wall in 5(20.8%) patients, the left wall in 1 patient and the multiple walls in 10(41.7%) patients. Twenty-four patients were generally received radiotherapy, including external-beam and intracavitary irradiation. Two patients were concurrently received chemotherapy and irradiation, Eight patients were received chemotherapy as the tumor was not control and recurrent or metastatic. The survival rate of 3 years was 47.3% and that of 5 years was 34.2%. The survival mean time of patients with stage I and stage II was 60.3 months obviously much longer than 14.8 months of patients with stage III and stage IV, and they were significantly statistical difference (P < 0.01). But the survival mean time of patients more than 40 years and less than or equal to 40 years was not significantly statistical difference. Eight patients had local recurrence, which is the main reason of failure treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Primary vaginal adenocarcinomas should mainly be adopted combined treatment depending on radiotherapy, but the prognosis was worse, the stage was the important factors affecting on the prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Cancer Hospital, Peking Union Medical University, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Beijing 100021, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Shu-min
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wen-hua
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ling-ying
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D015996:Survival Rate; D014625:Vaginal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*