The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) has released its first clinical guideline on radiation therapy for anal cancer, which was published February 27 in Practical Radiation Oncology.
Anal cancer is relatively rare, but incidence and mortality rates have risen over the past 20 years, especially among adults in their 50s, according to ASTRO. Roughly 10,540 Americans are diagnosed with anal cancer each year; most are Black men and white women (women are more than twice as likely as men to develop the disease). The current standard of care for anal cancer consists of a combination of radiation therapy and drug therapy that allows patients to avoid the permanent colostomies that previously were common with surgical treatments, ASTRO said.
The guideline -- called "Radiation Therapy for Anal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: An ASTRO Clinical Practice Guideline" -- outlines optimal dosing, techniques and treatment planning for radiation therapy, and strategies for post-treatment assessment and care. It was based on a review of articles published from January 2000 to May 2023 that was conducted by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and was a collaboration between the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO). The document has been endorsed by the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR), ASTRO noted.
Read the full guidance here.
