RADIOCHEMOTHERAPY OF ANAL CANCER

Conventional treatment of anal cancer has been the demolitive Miles op eration for decades, Radiotherapy has been utilized in a limited numbe r of centers for early cancers only. Radio-chemotherapy has become the treatment of choice for all stages of anal cancer after the first exp eriences by the group of Detroit and after the confirmation of success ful results by many other centers. Infusional chemotherapy (5-FU and M itomycin C or CDDP) and concurrent irradiation are able to achieve loc al control in more than 80% of patients. Surgery currently represents a rescue treatment for partial responders or in relapsing patients. A brief review of the literature and the experience at the Istituto Tumo ri in Milano are presented.