Anal Cancer

Overview

At Mayo Clinic, people with anal cancer receive coordinated care from an experienced team of physicians and health care professionals committed to providing comprehensive diagnoses, treatments and detailed answers. This team typically includes gastroenterologists, medical and radiation oncologists, radiologists, surgeons, pathologists and geneticists. People with anal cancer and their family members can receive educational materials, follow-up recommendations and genetic testing. They also may explore innovative approaches to prevention, early detection and treatment.

Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, is a leader in translating research knowledge into effective improvements to care for people with cancer and their families. Mayo Clinic physicians diagnose and treat several thousand people with all types of cancer each year and use their accumulated experience to provide the most effective treatment.

Diagnosis

Mayo Clinic has one of the largest, most comprehensive cancer diagnosis and treatment programs in the world. If cancer is diagnosed, an important factor in treatment is staging. Read more about diagnosis of anal cancer.

Treatment Options

Mayo Clinic oncologists treat virtually every known type of cancer, from the more common forms such as breast cancer to rarer types such as anal cancer. Preserving function is one potential advantage of using a combination of therapies to treat anal cancer. Most patients with anal cancer can have their cancer treated successfully with the combination of external beam radiation and chemotherapy. Surgical removal of the cancer is usually performed only in those patients who do not get a complete regression of the cancer with chemoradiation. Read more about treatment options for anal cancer.

• Treatment in Arizona
• Treatment in Florida
• Treatment in Minnesota

About Anal Cancer

The anus, a muscular area at the very end of the large bowel (colon), opens and closes to control bowel movements. In anal cancer, malignant cells are found in the anus. About 3,500 new cases of anal cancer are diagnosed each year in the United States, and about 500 people die from the disease annually. Slightly more women than men get anal cancer. The cause of anal cancer is unknown.