Squamous Cancers of the Rectum Demonstrate Poorer Survival and Increased Need for Salvage Surgery Compared With Squamous Cancers of the Anus

BACKGROUND: Squamous cell cancers of the anus are rare GI malignancies for which neoadjuvant chemoradiation is the first-line treatment for nonmetastatic disease. Squamous cancers of the rectum are far less common, and it is unclear to what degree chemoradiotherapy improves their outcomes. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare stage-specific survival for anal and rectal squamous cancers stratified by treatment approach. DESIGN: This was a retrospective cohort study. SETTINGS: The study was conducted at Commission on Cancer designated hospitals. PATIENTS: Patients (2006–2012) identified in the National Cancer Database with pretreatment clinical stage I to III cancers who underwent chemoradiotherapy, with and without subsequent salvage surgical resection (low anterior resection or abdominoperineal resection), ≥12 weeks after chemoradiotherapy were included in the study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Overall survival and the need for salvage surgery were measured. RESULTS: Anal cancers (n = 11,224) typically presented with stage II (45.7%) or III (36.3%) disease, whereas rectal cancer stages (n = 1049) were more evenly distributed (p

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