Abstract
Aim: Concurrent chemoradiotherapy is the standard treatment for squamous cell carcinoma of anal canal. We describe our experience of treating such patients at our center. Methods: Patients with anal squamous cell carcinoma were treated with a uniform sphincter preserving protocol at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, South Australia. Standard radiotherapy along with 5-fluorouracil (750 mg/m2 on days 1-5 and days 29-32) and mitomycin C (12mg/m2 on day 1 only) was given to eligible patients. Results: Of the 34 patients included in this study, nearly 60% were women. Most (89.3%) had T1-2 disease. One-third had nodal involvement. Twenty-seven had chemoradiotherapy, six had local excision alone and one had radiotherapy alone. Among those who had chemoradiation, 71.5% had a complete response and remained colostomy free until the last follow-up. Most completed the treatment without major side-effects. The 3 and 5-year disease free survival rate was 62% and 53%, respectively. All patients who failed chemoradiation underwent salvage surgery with a median survival time of 32.5months. Conclusion: Sphincter preservation is the goal for anal cancers. Chemoradiotherapy is an important modality to achieve this goal.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 214-218 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Asia-Pacific Journal of Clinical Oncology |
Volume | 3 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published or Issued - Dec 2007 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Chemotherapy
- Radiotherapy
- Squamous cell carcinoma
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Oncology