Poggi Matthew M, Suh W Warren, Saltz Leonard, Konski Andre A, Mohiuddin Mohammed, Herman Joseph, Johnstone Peter A
National Naval Medical Center, Department of Radiation Oncology, Bethesda, Md 20889-5000, USA.
J Am Coll Radiol. 2007 Jul;4(7):448-56. doi: 10.1016/j.jacr.2007.03.026.
Anal cancer is a relatively rare neoplasm, accounting for roughly 4,500 cases per year. The evolution of the definitive treatment of anal cancer from a surgical to a nonsurgical approach, however, has been viewed as a model disease site in a larger paradigm shift in medicine. Organ preservation, in this case a functional anal sphincter, and durable cure are obtainable goals. To this end, anal cancer is a disease best treated primarily with chemoradiation. Although appropriate treatment can produce acceptable results, further investigation and improvement in therapy are still needed.
