title: Results of Surgical Salvage Treatment for Anal Canal Cancer: A Retrospective Analysis with Overview of the Literature.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is the gold standard treatment for anal cancer, which permits the maintenance of the anal function. However, about 30-40% of patients develop local disease progression, for which surgery represents a good salvage therapy. The aim of this study is to evaluate survival and morbidity rate in patients who undergo salvage surgery in our single institution, with an overview of the literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study was carried out on patients who underwent surgical treatment of anal canal cancer after failure of CRT. We evaluated overall survival at 1, 3, and 5 years and postoperative morbidity rate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty patients who underwent radical surgery with abdominoperineal resection were included in the study. The survival rates at 1, 3, and 5 years were 75, 60, and 37.4%; with a disease-free survival of 67, 53, and 35%, respectively. There was no postoperative mortality. The morbidity rate was 35%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Surgery represents the recommended therapy for persistent or recurrent anal canal cancer after CRT, with a good survival rate and an acceptable morbidity.
authors.affiliation: Digestive Surgery Unit, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Benedetta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pesi
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Scaringi
authors.forename: Carmela
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Martino
authors.forename: Giacomo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Batignani
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Giudici
authors.forename: Damiano
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bisogni
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tonelli
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bechi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001005:Anus Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy; D018450:Disease Progression; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D015996:Survival Rate; D017211:Treatment Failure
keywords: Squamous anal cancer; Surgery