Read article Chemoradiation for anal cancer
This page tells you about the combination treatment of chemotherapy and radiotherapy for anal cancer.
Chemoradiation for anal cancer
Doctors often use a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy to treat anal cancer. This is called chemoradiation. Your exact treatment plan will depend on what your doctor thinks is best for you.
The most common treatment uses the drugs fluorouracil (5FU) and mitomycin C. You have the chemotherapy over 4 to 5 days. You usually have two cycles of chemotherapy, the second one 4 weeks after the first.
On the first day of chemotherapy you will also begin radiotherapy. You will continue to have radiotherapy every day, from Monday to Friday, for 5 to 6 weeks.
Side effects of combination treatment
You will have side effects from your treatment. These will be the same as those described in the radiotherapy and chemotherapy sections. When you have both treatments, side effects can be more severe. You may get very tired, and have more problems with diarrhoea. Most people have soreness around their anus. For some people the area becomes very painful and the skin breaks down. It is important to tell your doctor or nurse if this happens, so that they can give you the right painkillers and advise you on skin care.
You can view and print the quick guides for all the pages in the treating anal cancer section.
Doctors often use a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy to treat anal cancer. You may hear this called chemoradiation. Your exact treatment plan will depend on what your doctor thinks is best for you. The most commonly used treatment is with the drugs mitomycin C and fluorouracil (5FU). You have the chemotherapy over 4 to 5 days. You usually have 2 cycles of chemotherapy, the second one 4 weeks after the first.
On the first day of chemotherapy you will also have your first radiotherapy treatment. You’ll continue to have radiotherapy every weekday, from Monday to Friday for 5 to 6 weeks. As long as you are well enough you will have your radiotherapy as an outpatient. So you will need to travel to hospital each weekday for about 6 weeks. You will probably need to stay in hospital while you have your chemotherapy treatments. But some hospitals allow patients to go home with a portable pump for their 5FU chemotherapy. The chemotherapy is given through a PICC line, a type of central line which goes into a vein in your arm.
There is more detailed information about this chemoradiation regimen in the chemotherapy section.
Doctors are researching the best ways to combine chemotherapy and radiotherapy, including which drugs to use and how much radiotherapy to give. There is more information about current trials on the anal cancer research page in this section.
You will have side effects from your treatment. These will be the same as those described in the radiotherapy and chemotherapy sections.
But when you have both treatments together, the side effects can be more severe. You can get very tired, and have more problems with diarrhoea. Most people have soreness around their anus and groin, and the skin becomes red. Your skin may peel and break down. This can be very painful, particularly when you open your bowels. It is important that you tell your nurse or doctor if this happens so they can give you appropriate painkillers and advise you on how to look after your skin. Don’t use any cream or dressings on your skin that aren’t prescribed or recommended by your nurse or doctor.
There is more information about skin care and reactions in the radiotherapy section.
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