Radiation Therapy Helps Cure Anal Cancer and Prevents Colostomies

Radiation therapy, combined in some cases with minimally invasive surgery, helps cure early-stage anal cancer and prevent patients from needing a colostomy, according to a new study published in the June 2005 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official journal of ASTRO, the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology.

In the past, patients with anal cancer typically had major surgery to remove the tumor, but the treatment often left patients needing a colostomy to remove body wastes. In this study, researchers wanted to see if removing less tissue, when possible, and giving a small dose of radiation to kill any remaining cancer cells would cure patients of their cancer while preventing them from needing a colostomy.

The study was conducted on 69 patients, ages 27 to 83, between 1990 and 2000, who had been diagnosed with early-stage anal cancer. Out of the 69 patients, 66 received radiation therapy and a surgeon removed the tumor in 26 patients before they received radiation therapy. Of the patients in the study who received radiation, all but one patient lived longer than five years after initial diagnosis. Eighty-five percent of the patients lived longer than five years without needing a colostomy.

“Using radiation, often in conjunction with surgery, we're able to effectively cure early stage anal cancer while decreasing total radiation dose. This treatment prevents many patients from needing a colostomy, which can severely hamper quality of life after treatment,” said Cecile Ortholan, M.D., lead author of the study and radiation oncologist at Centre Antoine Lacassagne in Nice, France.

For more information on radiation therapy for colorectal cancer, please visit www.astro.org/patient/treatment_information/ for a free brochure.

To arrange an interview with Dr. Ortholan or for a copy of the study “Anal Canal Carcinoma: Early-Stage Tumors 10 MM (T1 or TIS): Therapeutic Options and Original Pattern of Local Failure After Radiotherapy,” please contact Nick Lashinsky at nickl@astro.org or 1-800-962-7876.

ASTRO is the largest radiation oncology society in the world, with more than 8,000 members who specialize in treating patients with radiation therapies. As a leading organization in radiation oncology, biology and physics, the Society is dedicated to the advancement of the practice of radiation oncology by promoting excellence in patient care, providing opportunities for educational and professional development, promoting research and disseminating research results and representing radiation oncology in a rapidly evolving socioeconomic healthcare environment.

Source: ASTRO

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