title: Radiation therapy in anal and rectal cancer.
abstract: Historically, squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal was treated with abdominoperineal resection. Nigro discovered that radiation therapy combined with 5-fluorouracil and mitomycin resulted in high rates of local control and colostomy-free and overall survival without surgical intervention. Recent advances include the integration of PET into staging, radiation treatment planning, disease monitoring, and the use of intensity-modulated radiation therapy. For rectal cancer, clinical trials have established the role for neoadjuvant therapy for T3-4 and/or node-positive tumor presentations. Chemotherapy and targeted agents are under study in both anal and rectal cancers to improve on the standard combinations of chemotherapy and radiation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA. czito001@mc.duke.edu
authors.forename: Brian G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Czito
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Meyer
mesh_terms: D001005:Anus Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D011379:Prognosis; D011878:Radiotherapy; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*