Recurrence of anal adenocarcinoma after local excision and adjuvant chemoradiation therapy: report of a case and review of the literature.

INTRODUCTION: Tumors arising from the anal canal are rare, comprising 1.5% of all gastrointestinal tumors in the USA. The vast majority of these anal cancers are epidermoid (cloacogenic/basaloid and squamous cell carcinomas), while adenocarcinomas reportedly occur 5% to 19% of the time. Because of its rarity, reports about anal adenocarcinoma are limited to small retrospective studies and case reports. Moreover, no series has directly compared outcomes between patients undergoing the various available treatment options, making it difficult to determine the optimal treatment for this aggressive cancer. Current management of this cancer remains controversial, with some authors believing abdominoperineal resection with permanent colostomy should be considered the standard treatment. Others propose that combined chemoradiation be adopted as a possible treatment in certain patients. CASE
PRESENTATION: We describe a case of recurrent anal adenocarcinoma after conservative management with local excision and adjuvant chemoradiation therapy.