title: Combined chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery for epithelial cancer of the anal canal.
abstract: Combined chemotherapy and radiation therapy have been reported to produce a high incidence of complete regression of epithelial cancer of the anal canal, resulting in prolonged disease-free survival. This modality has been advocated as an alternative to abdominoperineal resection as a primary treatment for this disease. Our group treated 19 patients between 1979 and 1985. Treatment included two infusions of 5-fluorouracil (1000 mg/m2/24 hours), one dose of mitomycin C (15 mg/m2), and simultaneous whole-pelvis radiation (3000 rad). The complete response rate was 88%. Three patients had anal cancer incompletely controlled by that therapy. They underwent abdominoperineal resections and are alive without disease at 10, 39, and 43 months, respectively. Actuarial disease-free survival at 40 months was 87.5 +/- 8.8 (% +/- standard error of the mean [SEM]). Complications included gastrointestinal, hematologic, and cutaneous toxicity. These results confirmed a high complete response rate to this therapy. Local treatment failures may occur, but these may be salvaged with abdominoperineal resection.
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D001005:Anus Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents