This Article  • Full text  • PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Related article  • Similar articles in JAMA  Topic Collections  • Gastrointestinal Diseases  • JAMA Patient Page  • Oncology  • Alert me on articles by topic

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Anal cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the anus. The anus is located at the end of the large intestine, below the rectum, through which solid waste leaves the body. The anus is formed partly from the outer skin layers and partly from the intestine. The anal canal, the part of the anus between the rectum and the anal opening, is about 1 inches long. Anal carcinoma (cancer) is unique and can be distinguished from all other gastrointestinal tumors. It is mainly a local-regional cancer, with a metastatic potential (possibility of spreading to other body tissues) in only 15% of patients. The April 23/30, 2008, issue of JAMA includes an article evaluating current therapies for the treatment of anal carcinoma.

RISK FACTORS

• Gender—Women have a higher risk than men.
  
• Age—Most cases occur in individuals aged 50 years and older.
  
• Multiple sexual partners
  
• Anal . . . [Full Text of this Article]

RELATED ARTICLE

Fluorouracil, Mitomycin, and Radiotherapy vs Fluorouracil, Cisplatin, and Radiotherapy for Carcinoma of the Anal Canal: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Jaffer A. Ajani, Kathryn A. Winter, Leonard L. Gunderson, John Pedersen, Al B. Benson, III, Charles R. Thomas, Jr, Robert J. Mayer, Michael G. Haddock, Tyvin A. Rich, and Christopher Willett
JAMA. 2008;299(16):1914-1921.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT