Anal Cancer
What is Anal Cancer?
Anal cancer is a rare tumour with an incidence that has been increasing over the past 25 years. Worldwide, approximately 54,000 cases were diagnosed in 2022, accounting for less than 5% of gastrointestinal tract malignancies (Young et al., 2020).
Diagnosing anal canal cancer can be challenging, as its symptoms often resemble those of benign anorectal conditions. It is an uncommon yet highly stigmatised disease, frequently linked to late presentation, stage migration, and the escalation of treatment.
Anatomy of the anus
The anal canal extends from the perianal skin at the end of the anus (anal verge) to the rectal mucosa. An important landmark within the canal is the dentate line, a transitional boundary that marks the end of the squamous mucosa and the beginning of a zone transitioning from squamous to non-squamous epithelium. This region is particularly prone to developing anal cancer (Young et al., 2020).
Types of anal cancer
Often, when cancer is found in the liver, it did not start there but has spread (metastasized) from somewhere else in the body. This is called a secondary liver cancer. These tumours are named and treated based on where they started (e.g. pancreas, colon, lung etc.)
Literature
1. Young, A. N., Jacob, E., Willauer, P., Smucker, L., Monzon, R., & Oceguera, L. (2020). Anal Cancer. The Surgical clinics of North America, 100(3), 629–634. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.suc.2020.02.007
2. Wong, J., Allwright, M., Hruby, G., Roberts, J. M., Carr, A., Jin, F., … & Co-authors. (2023). Anal cancer: A 20-year retrospective study from Australia. ANZ Journal of Surgery. https://doi.org/10.1111/ans.18586
3. Rao, S., Guren, M. G., Khan, K., Brown, G., Renehan, A. G., Steigen, S. E., Deutsch, E., Martinelli, E., & Arnold, D. (2021). Anal cancer: ESMO clinical practice guidelines for diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. Annals of Oncology, 32(9), 1087–1100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annonc.2021.06.003
