HJNO Nov/Dec 2022

54 NOV / DEC 2022 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS ONCOLOGY DIAL GUE COLUMN ONCOLOGY ANALCANCER is an uncommon type of can- cer that occurs in the anal canal. The risk of being diagnosed with anal cancer during one’s lifetime is about 1 in 500. A higher in- cidence is associated with the female sex, in- fection with human papillomavirus (HPV), lifetime number of sexual partners, genital warts, cigarette smoking, receptive anal inter- course, and infection with HIV. TheAmerican Cancer Society estimates that anal cancer in the United States in 2022 will be about 9,440 new cases (3,150 inmen and 6,290 in women) and about 1,670 deaths (930 in women and 740 in men). ANATOMY The anal canal is the part that connects the rectum to the anus. In humans, the anal canal is approximately 2.5 to 4 cm (0.98 to 1.57 in) long, from the anorectal junction to the anus. CLINICAL FEATURES Rectal bleeding is the most common initial symptom of anal cancer, occurring in ap- proximately 45% of patients. Anorectal pain or the sensation of a rectal mass is present in 30%, while 20% have no tumor-related symptoms. STAGING Pretreatment clinical staging consists of physical examination and biopsy of the pri- mary tumor, palpation of the groin, computed Anal Carcinoma