Induction chemotherapy in patients with anal canal cancer: a pilot study

Purpose: To investigate the role of induction chemotherapy (IC) followed by definitive chemoradiotherapy in people with anal canal cancer with bulky disease at diagnosis. Patients and Methods: We assessed patient acceptability and treatment feasibility of IC in patients with bulky anal canal malignant lesions. Results: Theoretical IC advantages may include tumor downsizing and early micrometastasis eradication, without affecting compliance with subsequent standard chemoradiotherapy regimens, as a result of improvement of oxygenation and higher intramural concentration of cytotoxic drugs. Conclusion: The study design should be proven feasible, with a satisfactory patient acceptance rate and an optimized work flow. To our knowledge, this study is the first trial to investigate the use of IC in the population of patients with bulky anal canal cancer.