title: Radiotherapy of epidermoid anal canal cancer.
abstract: Forty-eight patients with anal canal cancers were treated with surgery and irradiation or irradiation alone during the period 1970-1982. All cases were treated by external megavoltage equipment. The overall 5-year survival was 50%, and the local recurrence rate 33%. According to the therapy, four major groups were analysed: radical surgery followed by post-operative irradiation (5-year survival 43%, local recurrence rate 38%), incomplete major surgery and post-operative irradiation with very inferior prognosis (none of the patients surviving beyond 52 months). Two groups of patients had sphincter-saving procedures: local surgery followed by irradiation (5-year survival 78%, local recurrence rate 22%) and primary irradiation (5-year survival 57%, local recurrence rate 14%). Lymph node positive patients showed a median survival of 24.5 months against 52 months in N0 cases (5-year survival 21% against 50%). Side-effects of radiotherapy were transient and mild, and no late severe sequelae were seen. The data indicate that post-operative external radiotherapy seems insufficient and unable to decrease the local recurrence rate, especially when surgery is incomplete. Both spincter-saving surgery and radiotherapy, as well as primary irradiation, are effective treatment modalities. These data are analysed and future aspects considering combined radiochemotherapy are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy and Radiobiology, University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dobrowsky
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001005:Anus Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011882:Radiotherapy, High-Energy; D013997:Time Factors