Anal Cancer

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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Prevention and Risk Factors
• Treatments and Therapies

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• Living With
• Related Issues

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Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Reference Desk
• Find an Expert

For You

• Patient Handouts

Summary

The anus is where stool leaves your body when you go to the bathroom. It is made up of your outer layers of skin and the end of your large intestine. Anal cancer is a disease in which cancer cells form in the tissues of the anus.

Anal cancer is rare. It is more common in smokers and people over 50. You are also at higher risk if you have HPV, have anal sex, or have many sexual partners.

Symptoms include bleeding, pain, or lumps in the anal area. Anal itching and discharge can also be signs of anal cancer.

Doctors use tests that examine the anus to diagnose anal cancer. They include a physical exam, endoscopy, ultrasound, and biopsy.

Treatments include radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and surgery.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

Start Here

• Anal Cancer (American Society of Clinical Oncology)
• Anal Cancer (American Cancer Society)
• Anal Cancer (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Anal Cancer Treatment (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Anoscopy (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• How Is Anal Cancer Diagnosed? (American Cancer Society)
• Stages of Anal Cancer (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Digital Rectal Exam (DRE) (American Society of Clinical Oncology) Also in Spanish
• What Are the Risk Factors for Anal Cancer? (American Cancer Society)

Treatments and Therapies

• Drugs Approved for Anal Cancer (National Cancer Institute)
• External Beam Radiation Therapy for Cancer (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Treatment Option Overview (Anal Cancer) (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Living With

• Anal Cancer: What Happens After Treatment? (American Cancer Society)

Related Issues

• Anal Warts (American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons) Also in Spanish
• Do We Know What Causes Anal Cancer? (American Cancer Society)

Statistics and Research

• Cancer of the Anus (National Cancer Institute)
• Electrocautery Superior to Topical Treatments for Precancerous Anal Lesions (National Cancer Institute)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Anus Neoplasms (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Comparison of clinicopathological and genomic profiles in anal squamous cell carcinoma...
• Article: Comparison of intravenous 5-Fluorouracil with Oral Capecitabine in the Treatment of...
• Article: Automated In Vivo High-Resolution Imaging to Detect Human Papillomavirus-Associated Anal Precancer...
• Anal Cancer -- see more articles

Reference Desk

• Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Find an Expert

• American Cancer Society
• Find a Cancer Doctor (American Society of Clinical Oncology)
• National Cancer Institute Also in Spanish
• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
• Organizations that Offer Cancer Support Services (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• After chemotherapy - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Anal cancer (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Anoscopy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Pelvic radiation - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish