Clinical Trials
Anal cancer stage I was formerly treated with abdominoperineal resection. Current therapies in preserving the sphincter include wide local excision of the perianal skin or anal margin for small tumors, or definitive chemoradiation (fluorouracil, and mitomycin) for cancers of the anal canal. Salvage chemoradiation therapy (fluorouracil and cisplatin plus a radiation boost) may avoid permanent colostomy in patients with residual tumor after undergoing initial nonoperative therapy. Radical resection is reserved for patients with incomplete responses or recurrent disease. It is therefore important continuous surveillance with rectal examination every three months during the first two years and endoscopy / biopsy when indicated after completion of sphincter-preserving therapy.
Standard treatment options:
1. Small tumors of the perianal skin or anal margin not involving the anal sphincter may be adequately treated with local resection. (more…)
GENERAL INFORMATION
Anal cancer is often curable. The three major prognostic factors are site, size and differentiation.