Conformal therapy improves the therapeutic index of patients with anal canal cancer treated with combined chemotherapy and external beam radiotherapy

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) in patients with anal canal cancer, in terms of local control (LC), freedom from relapse (FFR), and overall survival (OS) rates, and to estimate long-term toxicity data. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Sixty historical patients, treated with conventional radiation techniques (C-RT), were used as controls, and 62 consecutive patients were treated with 3D-CRT. Patients treated with 3D-CRT received 54 Gy in 30 fractions delivered continuously, compared with 45-58.9 Gy (median dose, 54 Gy) in a split course in patients treated with C-RT. Chemotherapy consisted of 5-fluorouracil with either mitomycin-C or cis-platinum given concurrently with radiation. Survival curves were performed using the Kaplan-Meier model, and the Cox proportional hazards model was used for multivariate analysis of risk factors. RESULTS: No differences in stage and age distribution were observed between the two groups. Patients treated with 3D-CRT and C-RT had an actuarial 5-year LC rate of 85.1% and 61.1%, respectively (p = 0.0056); the FFR rate was 70.2% and 46.1% (p = 0.0166), and the OS rate was 80.7% and 53.9% (p = 0.0171). In multivariate analysis, factors of significance for LC were nodal (N) status (p < 0.001); for OS, 3D-CRT (p = 0.038), N status (p = 0.011), and T status (p = 0.012); and for FFR, 3D-CRT (p = 0.024) and N status (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The use of 3D-CRT allows patients with anal canal cancer to complete radiation and chemotherapy without interruption for toxicity, with significant improvements in LC, FFR, and OS.