title: Radiotherapy for anal cancer: experience from 1979-1987.
abstract: Seventy patients with squamous cell carcinoma or cloacogenic carcinoma of the anus treated from 1979-1987 were reviewed. Five groups were analyzed: (a) local excision (LE) with postoperative radiotherapy (n = 9); (b) abdominoperineal resection (APR) with either pre- or postoperative radiotherapy (n = 22); (c) definitive radiotherapy alone (n = 8); (d) radiotherapy with continuous 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) infusion (chemoradiation) (n = 25); and (e) patients treated for recurrent disease (n = 6). Abdomino-perineal resection and radiotherapy resulted in an actuarial local control (LC) rate of 90% and an overall 5-year survival rate of 77% (median follow-up, 48 months). All patients in Group 1 and 5/8 patients in Group 3 had locally controlled disease and were disease-free. The chemoradiation protocol resulted in a complete clinical response rate of 75% (18/24, one patient died during treatment) assessed 4-6 weeks after treatment. The colostomy-free local control rate with chemoradiation is 67% (16/24). Local control was 50% for all stages receiving 45-49 Gy and 90% for those patients receiving greater than or equal to 55 Gy but was not correlated with total 5-FU dose. Abdomino-perineal resection was performed to salvage six patients with persistent disease and two with recurrent disease, resulting in an overall local control rate of 92% (22/24). The actuarial survival was 96% (median follow-up, 14 months; range, 1-30). The acute complications of radiotherapy included diarrhea and perineal skin reactions that were increased by 5-FU infusion. However, diarrhea can be ameliorated by a modified treatment technique that reduces irradiation to the small intestine. For the entire patient group, minor late complications occurred in 23%, and major complications occurred in 9%.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030.
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Rich
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Delclos
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ajani
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Martin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001005:Anus Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D005472:Fluorouracil