what treatments are available for anal cancer? The National Institutes of Health estimates that sixty percent of cases of anal cancer can be successfully treated with surgery. Surgery can remove the entire cancer or just part of it, depending on the extent of the disease. In many cases, radiation therapy and split skin grafts are also used. A combination of both methods can produce favorable outcomes. Depending on the type of tumor and its location, patients with locally advanced cancer may require a combination of therapies.
In some cases, the tumor is benign at first and may develop into a malignant tumor. The first step in treating anal cancer is determining its etiology. There are two types of anal cancer: basal cell carcinoma, which develops in skin and occurs on skin exposed to sunlight, and squamous cell carcinoma, which develops in the glands surrounding the anus. These two types of anal cancer are both characterized by the presence of abnormal squamous cells and are often the most common.
Selected cases of anal cancer should be investigated with sentinal lymph node biopsy. This procedure can accurately detect micrometastases and is safe for patients. Recent studies have compared SLN biopsy with PET/CT. Damin DC et al. found that SLN biopsy is superior to PET/CT in detection of anal cancer. The procedure is available in most hospitals. Anal cancer may also be difficult to diagnose in a patient without imaging.
Surgical treatment for anal cancer has evolved a lot in recent years. Abdominoperineal resection was the standard treatment until a few decades ago, and it was associated with a permanent colostomy. In 1974, Nigro et al. published a study challenging the standard of care for anal cancer. In this study, they used 30 Gray of external radiation and a combination of mitomycin C and 5 fluorouracil (5-FU). This method was safe and effective and resulted in a complete response in 75% of patients.
Besides multiple sexual partners and receptive anal sex, anal cancer is also linked to HPV. If you are HIV positive or take immunosuppressants, your immune system is compromised, leaving your body defenseless against anal cancer. In addition, older people are more likely to develop anal cancer. The best way to avoid this type of cancer is to practice barrier protection. This will protect your anus and keep it clean.
During the course of the disease, patients with perianal Paget’s disease frequently develop adnexal, visceral, or cutaneous malignancies. In fact, approximately 50 percent of patients with anal margin Paget’s disease also harbor a colorectal neoplasm that must be treated. In these cases, a full colonoscopy may be necessary to ensure a correct diagnosis.
