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.
National Cancer Institute
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Anal Cancer (PDQ): Treatment
(National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/anal/patient/
Also available in Spanish http://www.cancer.gov/espanol/pdq/tratamiento/ano/patient/ - What Is Anal Cancer?(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_1X_What_is_anal_cancer_47.asp?sitearea
- Anal Cancer(American Society of Clinical Oncology) - http://www.cancer.net/patient/Cancer+Types/Anal+Cancer
- Anal Cancer(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/anal-cancer/DS00852/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
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JAMA Patient Page: Anal Cancer(American Medical Association) - Links to PDF - http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/299/16/1980.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/data/299/16/1980/DC1/1
- Anoscopy(Harvard Medical School) - https://www.health.harvard.edu/diagnostic-tests/anoscopy.htm
- Can Anal Cancer Be Found Early?(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_3X_Can_Anal_Cancer_be_found_early_47.asp?sitearea
- How Is Anal Cancer Diagnosed?(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_3X_How_Is_Anal_Cancer_Diagnosed_47.asp?sitearea=
- How Is Anal Cancer Staged?(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_3X_How_is_Anal_Cancer_staged_47.asp?sitearea
- Anal Cancer: Treatment Options by Stage(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_4X_Treatment_Options_by_Stage_47.asp?sitearea=
- Can Anal Cancer Be Prevented?(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_2X_Can_Anal_Cancer_be_prevented_47.asp?sitearea
- What Are the Risk Factors for Anal Cancer?(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_2X_What_are_the_risk_factors_for_Anal_Cancer_47.asp?sitearea
- Anal Cancer: What Happens After Treatment?(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_5X_What_happens_after_treatment_47.asp?sitearea
- Anal Dysplasia(Dept. of Veterans Affairs) - http://www.hiv.va.gov/vahiv?page=cm-502_anal
- Do We Know What Causes Anal Cancer?(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_2X_Do_we_know_what_causes_Anal_Cancer_47.asp?sitearea
- What Should You Ask Your Doctor about Anal Cancer?(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_5X_What_should_you_ask_your_doctor_about_anal_cancer_47.asp?rnav=cri
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Anus Neoplasms(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Anus+Neoplasms%22
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Cisplatin No Better Than Standard Therapy for Anal Canal Cancer(National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/results/cisplatin-anal0408
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Comparison of Patient- and Physician-Collected Specimens to Screen for Anal Cancer(American College of Physicians) - Links to PDF - http://www.annals.org/cgi/reprint/149/5/I-38.pdf
- What's New in Anal Cancer Research and Treatment?(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_6X_Whats_new_in_anal_cancer_research_and_treatment_47.asp?sitearea
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Anal cancer screening in men who have sex with men. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19343830&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Human papillomavirus vaccines and anal carcinoma. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19339940&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Adenocarcinoma arising in the middle of ileoanal pouches: report of... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19333060&tool=MedlinePlus
- Anal Cancer -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=anus+neoplasms[majr]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
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Dictionary of Cancer Terms(National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/dictionary/
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Digestive Diseases Dictionary
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/dictionary/
- Find an Oncologist(American Society of Clinical Oncology) - http://www.cancer.net/patient/Diagnosis+and+Treatment/Finding+Quality+Care/Find+an+Oncologist/Find+an+Oncologist+Database
- American Cancer Society - http://www.cancer.org/
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National Cancer Institute - http://www.cancer.gov/
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National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases - http://www.niddk.nih.gov/
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Cancer of the Anus(National Cancer Institute) - http://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/anus.html
- What Are the Key Statistics for Anal Cancer?(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_1X_What_are_the_key_statistics_for_Anal_Cancer_47.asp?sitearea
- Anal and Rectal Diseases - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/analandrectaldiseases.html
- Colorectal Cancer - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/colorectalcancer.html
- Cancers - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/cancers.html
- Digestive System - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/digestivesystem.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Anal Cancer is the National Cancer Institute - http://www.nci.nih.gov/