An evaluation of combined therapy for squamous cell cancer of the anal canal.

Carcinoma of the anal canal develops in the area of the dentate line and is referred to as cloacogenic, transitional, basaloid, epidermoid, and squamous cell cancer. For years, the accepted treatment for these lesions has been abdominoperineal resection. The use of preoperative radiation and chemotherapy was begun by our group in 1972. By 1975, it became apparent that radiation and chemotherapy alone appeared effective enough so that radical operation was not done routinely. An evaluation of the results in 104 patients, 44 of whom were treated by us (the rest of the data was collected by questionnaire), suggests that radiation and chemotherapy alone are at least as effective as radical surgery in most patients with this disease.