Anal cancer is a rare type of cancer. The anus is where stool leaves your body when you go to the bathroom. It is made up of your outer layers of skin and the end of your large intestine. Anal cancer is a disease in which cancer cells form in the tissues of the anus.
Symptoms include bleeding, pain or lumps in the anal area. Anal itching and discharge can also be signs of anal cancer. Possible treatments include radiation, chemotherapy and surgery. Your treatment will depend whether the tumor has spread, and on the type, size and location of the tumor.
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Anal Cancer (PDQ): Treatment(National Cancer Institute)
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What Is Anal Cancer?(American Cancer Society)
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Anal Cancer(American Society of Clinical Oncology)
Anal Cancer(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
JAMA Patient Page: Anal Cancer(American Medical Association) - Links to PDF
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Diagnosis/Symptoms
Anoscopy(Harvard Medical School)
Can Anal Cancer Be Found Early?(American Cancer Society)
How Is Anal Cancer Diagnosed?(American Cancer Society)
How Is Anal Cancer Staged?(American Cancer Society)
Treatment
Anal Cancer: Treatment Options by Stage(American Cancer Society)
Prevention/Screening
Can Anal Cancer Be Prevented?(American Cancer Society)
What Are the Risk Factors for Anal Cancer?(American Cancer Society) Return to top
Disease Management
Anal Cancer: What Happens After Treatment?(American Cancer Society) Return to top
Related Issues
Anal Dysplasia(Dept. of Veterans Affairs)
Do We Know What Causes Anal Cancer?(American Cancer Society)
What Should You Ask Your Doctor about Anal Cancer?(American Cancer Society) Return to top
Clinical Trials
ClinicalTrials.gov: Anus Neoplasms(National Institutes of Health) Return to top
Research
Cisplatin No Better Than Standard Therapy for Anal Canal Cancer(National Cancer Institute)
Comparison of Patient- and Physician-Collected Specimens to Screen for Anal Cancer(American College of Physicians) - Links to PDF
What's New in Anal Cancer Research and Treatment?(American Cancer Society) Return to top
Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Article: Radiotherapy for perianal Paget's disease: a case report.
Article: PSA after incidental irradiation of the nonmalignant prostate: long-term changes.
Article: Understanding the burden of human papillomavirus-associated anal cancers in the...
Anal Cancer -- see more articles Return to top
Dictionaries/Glossaries
Dictionary of Cancer Terms(National Cancer Institute) Return to top
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Find an Oncologist(American Society of Clinical Oncology) Return to top
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American Cancer Society
National Cancer Institute
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Return to top
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Cancer of the Anus(National Cancer Institute)
What Are the Key Statistics for Anal Cancer?(American Cancer Society) Return to top
