Brief Reports
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2004. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Feb 1, 2004; 10(3): 424-426
Published online Feb 1, 2004. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v10.i3.424
Surgical salvage therapy of anal canal cancer
Yue-Kui Bai, Wen-Lan Cao, Ji-Dong Gao, Jun Liang, Yong-Fu Shao
Yue-Kui Bai, Ji-Dong Gao, Yong-Fu Shao, Department of General Surgical Oncology, Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
Jun Liang, Department of Radiotherapy, Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
Wen-Lan Cao, Department of Radiotherapy, Central Hospital, Yuncheng 044000, Shanxi Province, China
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Yong-Fu Shao, Department of General Surgical Oncology, Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China. 5151bai@yahoo.com.cn
Telephone: +86-10-87708385
Received: May 12, 2003
Revised: June 12, 2003
Accepted: June 19, 2003
Published online: February 1, 2004
Abstract

AIM: To evaluate the results of salvage resection in the management of persistent or locally recurrent anal canal cancer.

METHODS: Details of all patients with anal canal cancer treated from 1978 to 1994 at Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) were reviewed retrospectively. Sixteen patients who presented with persistent or locally recurrent anal canal cancer received salvage surgery. Before surgery all of the patients had received radiotherapy alone as their primary treatments.

RESULTS: Of the 16 patients, 14 received salvage abdominoperineal resection (APR) and two had transanal local excision. There were no deaths attributable to operation. Delayed healing of the perineal wound occurred in eight patients. Complications unrelated to the perineal wound were found in five patients. The median follow-up time was 120 (range 5 - 245) months after salvage surgery. Nine patients died of disease progression, with a median survival time of 16 (range 5 - 27) months. Six patients had a long-term survival.

CONCLUSION: Salvage resection after radiotherapy can yield a long-time survival in selected patients with anal canal cancer. However it offers little hope to patients with T4 and/or N2-3 tumors.

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