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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 (and most others) 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 (obviously most
swellings are not cancerous). 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. Eventually, if not cured,
these cells push the normal cells out of the way, grow a large tumor within the pelvis, spread
via the lymph channels to local lymph nodes, and then spread to other body areas. This
spread ultimately kills the patient though anemia, infection, general weakness, malnutrition
and debility.