[The role of surgery in the treatment of epidermoid cancer of the anal canal].

Thirty patients underwent surgery for carcinoma of the anus, a surgical procedure having been planned as all or part of their management in only 18 of them. The other 12 patients required surgery after radiotherapy, either because of progression of their neoplasm, or because of irradiation-related complications. Any tendency to attribute a quasi-exclusive role to radiotherapy in the treatment of carcinoma of the anus should be avoided.