In most cases, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are effective treatments for anal cancer. But about 15 percent of patients will also need anal cancer surgery.
At Penn Medicine, our specialized surgeons are skilled in the latest techniques to treat anal cancers. With a strong commitment to anus and anal tissue conservation, you receive care aimed at curing the cancer and maintaining your quality of life.
Anal Cancer Surgery and Abdominoperineal Resection: Why Choose the Abramson Cancer Center?
Our board-certified colon and rectal surgeons have completed the highest level of training in their field. They have special expertise in the treatment of primary anal cancers (tumors that originate in the anus) and cancer recurrences (cancers that return after treatment). You're in the best hands for treatment of these rarer cancers and hard-to-treat tumors.
Your care also features:
- Multispecialty approach: Our colon and rectal cancer team includes experts in all the medical specialties involved in anal cancer care. These specialists meet regularly to create treatment plans and troubleshoot complicated cases. Their collaboration leads to care that addresses your health from head to toe before, during and after surgery.
- Minimally invasive options: We offer minimally invasive approaches to anal cancer surgery. Minimally invasive surgical techniques provide a lower risk of complications and a quicker return to everyday activities than traditional surgery.
- Latest treatments: Anal cancer treatment often involves radiation and chemotherapy. At the Abramson Cancer Center, you have access to the newest, most advanced treatment options, including proton therapy. Proton therapy is a highly precise form of radiation that has fewer side effects than other types. We are the only health care facility in the U.S. using proton therapy to treat recurrent GI tumors in clinical trials. Learn more about anal cancer treatment.
- Anal cancer research: Our anal cancer research program gives you unprecedented access to the latest discoveries and care advances. You benefit from research aimed at both anal conservation and cure of the disease.
- Optimized recoveries: We use enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols to make your recovery easier and faster. These protocols lead to shorter hospital stays and fewer complications and infections after surgery.
- Seamless care: Our skilled nurse navigators use their cancer expertise to make your treatment experience easier. They act as a helpful sounding board for any questions or concerns you and your family have. They also help you coordinate your care across our health system. Meet the oncology nurse navigators.
- Strong palliative care: Living with cancer often comes with uncomfortable symptoms. Anal cancer treatment can also result in mild or serious side effects. Our palliative care team provides support for and relief from these issues. As part of your treatment team, they provide an added layer of care that enhances your quality of life and makes you more comfortable. Read more about our Palliative Care Program.
Types of Anal Cancer Surgery
Doctors typically remove perianal skin cancers using surgery. Perianal skin cancers are visible on the outside of the anus.
If you have anal canal cancer, your treatment plan most likely will not involve surgery. The anal canal is the last part of your intestine before stool leaves your body.
The two procedures doctors use to treat anal cancer are:
Local Resection
This procedure removes the tumor and some healthy tissues that surround it. Surgeons do local resections on tumors that are small and haven't spread. Local resection can cure the cancer.
After the surgery, you should still have control over your bowel movements because the sphincter muscles and anus are intact.
While local resection for anal canal cancer is rare, our surgeons have the expertise to do it, if appropriate.
Abdominoperineal Resection (APR)
If other treatments don't work or the cancer returns, your doctor may recommend an abdominoperineal resection. During APR surgery, your surgeon:
- Removes the anus, rectum, part of the colon and sometimes lymph nodes
- Performs a colostomy by attaching the remaining colon to a surgically made opening in your abdomen (stoma)
- Attaches a small bag to collect stool to the stoma
You then wear the colostomy bag permanently to collect and remove bodily waste.
APR surgery is a major operation, but we are with you every step of the way. Your care team supports you as you recover, adjust and get back to daily life.
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