[External beam radiation therapy and interstitial brachytherapy in the treatment of anal canal carcinomas: a series of 70 patients].

This study is concerning 70 patients (57 female, 13 male) with an epidermoid carcinoma of the anal canal which were treated homogeneously with a combination of an external beam radiation therapy ((45 Gy in 25 fractions of 1.8 Gy for 5 weeks) and a brachytherapy with Iridium wires (15 to 20 Gy delivered to the gross residual disease). The N1 patients and the patients with tumors more than 4 cm in diameter received a chemotherapy also (5 FU and cisplatinum). The overall local control was obtained in 68 cases out of 70 (97.1%). 63 out of 70 patients (90%) are alive and locally controlled. 56 pts out of 70 (80%) did have a preserved anus, and a normal sphincterian function was preserved in 53 pts out of 70 (75.7%). 17 pts had a colostomy (3 without and 14 with an abdominoperineal resection). With the salvage perineal resection, 11 patients out of 12 local recurrences were definitely locally cured (91.7%). The 5-year overall survival is 91.4%. The 5-year disease-free survival is 90%. The 5-year survival with preserved anal sphincter is 80% and with preserved sphincterian function is 75.7%. Five patients died from cancer (3 deaths due to metastases, and only 2 due to a locoregional evolution). These results have been analysed regarding the literature data and demonstrated the curative role of external beam and brachytherapy, in localized tumors, the contribution of chemotherapy in advanced stages and the efficiency of secondary salvage surgery in local recurrences.