Treatment of Stages I, II, and III Anal Cancer

Treatment of stage I, stage II, and stage III anal cancer may include:

• local resection for tumors of the skin around the outside of the anus and tumors inside the anal opening that do not involve the anal sphincter
• external-beam radiation therapy with chemotherapy
• radiation therapy alone
• abdominoperineal resection, if cancer remains or comes back after treatment with radiation therapy and chemotherapy, or other options that may include treatment with additional chemoradiation therapy, chemotherapy alone, or immunotherapy

Those who have had treatment that saves the sphincter muscles may receive follow-up exams every 3 months for the first 2 years, including rectal exams with endoscopy and biopsy, as needed to check for recurrence.

Learn more about these treatments in the Treatment Option Overview.

Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.