Basal cell carcinoma of the anus-a clinical study of 34 cases

Thirty-four patients with basal cell carcinoma of the anus were treated in Denmark between 1943 and 1974. The tumours were usually between 1 and 2 cm in diameter and localized to the anal margins. Three tumours had a diameter of 10 cm and extended into the anal canal. In one case the tumour had spread to the regional lymph nodes. Modes of treatment were wide local excision (27 patients), abdominoperineal excision of the rectum (4 patients), colostomy combined with radiotherapy (1 patient) and radiotherapy alone (2 patients). Local recurrence was observed in 8 cases. After retreatment (re-excision: 5 patients), excision of the rectum (1 patient) and radiotherapy (2 patients), no recurrences were observed in the follow-up period ( greater than 5 years). The crude 5-year survival rate was 72.6 per cent. The death rate was not higher than in the normal population of the same age and sex and no death was due to the basal cell carcinoma.