Abdominoperineal resection for anal cancer

Following initial radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy for the treatment of anal cancer, patients who present with either persistent or locally recurrent disease are treated by abdominoperineal resection. The aim of this retrospective study was to review the long-term survival and prognostic factors after such surgery in a single institution.

Over a 34-year period (1969-2003), 422 patients with nonmetastatic anal cancer were treated with a curative intent. Of these, 83 (median age 61 years; 74 women) underwent abdominoperineal resection.

Forty-one patients underwent abdominoperineal resection for persistent disease and 42 for locally recurrent disease. Postoperative mortality was 4.8 percent and morbidity was 35 percent with 18 percent having perineal wound infections. Median follow-up was 104 months (range, 3-299). The 3-year and 5-year actuarial survival was 62.8 and 56.5 percent respectively. Using univariate analysis, patients below 55 years, females, T1-2 tumors, N0-N1 lymphadenopathy and the absence of locally advanced tumor were associated with significantly improved survival. Surgery, whether for persistent or locally recurrent disease, did not affect the 5-year survival rate.

Abdominoperineal resection for nonmetastatic anal cancer is associated with a high morbidity rate but may result in long-term survival regardless of the indication.