The anus is a small aperture at the bottom most level of our bowel. It is circulated and enclosed by a ring like muscle called Sphincter. The Sphincter muscle in turn expands and contracts to control the opening and closing of anus. Development of oncogenic cells in anus grounds Anus/Anal Cancer. Females are more susceptible to Anal Cancer than males.

Possible Causes of Anal Cancer:

1. Human Papilloma virus (HPV): People who are infected with HPV or have submitted themselves to multiple sexual partners are likely to get Anal Cancer
2. Sexual Activity: Sexual interaction by an anal intercourse causes HPV infection thus leading to Anal Cancer
3. Immune System: The immunity of human body decreases considerably after an organ transplant or after HIV attack. Such patients are more disposed to Anal Cancer.

Symptoms and Signs of Anal Cancer:

Anal Cancer could be suspected if people show following symptoms:

1. Pain and discomfort in anus
2. Bleeding and burning of anal canal
3. Presence of small lumps in anal tract
4. Difficulty in controlling fecal movements
5. Discharge of mucus from one’s anus
6. Ulcers and burning around anal tract

Tests and Diagnosis of Anal Cancer:

One must seek an advice from their regular health practitioner if above irregularities are experienced. After analyzing and evaluating each symptom the general practitioner could refer the patient to a concerned specialist or a Gastroenterologist. The specialist may perhaps conduct a test of blood sample to study if the patient’s liver shows any infections. Once the blood test is proved normal doctors could kick start the diagnosis by:

1. Rectal Examination: This involves analyzing the back passage of anus using gloved fingers. The Doctors might examine the vaginal tract of a woman as well for infections as the vagina lies close to anal canal
2. Imaging: Imaging is the tendency to capture pictures of interior area of anal tract by scanning the abdominal area using CT (Computer Tomography)Scan, MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) or PET Scan(Positron Emission Tomography)
3. Ultrasound Rays: This technique uses sound waves to take a picture of the inside of abdomen. One could even undergo an Endoanal ultrasound where a thin tube is inserted by the anal canal to closely examine if the cancer cells have spread to the nearby region
4. Biopsy: Biopsy is taken by inserting a thin tube to draw out the anal extracts. This extract is then sent to a pathologist for examination.

Stages of Anal Cancer:

The anal cancer is staged based on the size and extent/expansion of cancer into 5 Stages:

Stage 1. This cancer only affects anus and is usually smaller than 2 cm in size
Stage 2. The cancer is has spread to an area more than 2 cm in size but has not affected the nearby lymph nodes and other parts
Stage 3A: The cancer has spread to the lymph nodes and nearby organs of the body like vagina and bladder
Stage 3B. The cancer has spread to the nearby lymph nodes including groin, vagina and pelvic region
Stage 4. The cancer in stage 4 has spread to lymph nodes in abdomen and nearby organs like liver

Chemotherapy for Anal Cancer:

Chemotherapy is given by using anti cancer or Cytotoxic drugs to destroy cancer cells. The drugs most commonly used to treat Anal Cancer are Fluorouracil (5FU) and Mitomycin C. Chemotherapy drugs affect normal cells along with cancer cells thus disrupting the regular function of these cells. Some common cells to be affected by chemotherapy medication are hair follicle cells, cells lining our skin, intestinal cells and bone marrow. Bone marrow is the blood producing machine of our body. Chemotherapy drugs thus impair its capacity to consistently form new blood cells. Some common side effects a patient might face in Anal Cancer are:

1. Alopecia or Hair Loss: This is caused by damaged hair cells
2. Anemia: Caused due to less concentration of RBC in blood
3. Neutropenia: A condition showing lowered resistance for infection due to less number of WBC
4. Bruising and Bleeding: Excessive bleeding could cause death even by a minor cut. This is an outcome of low platelets in blood
5. Weakness and tiredness: One might face fatigue and weakness as an outcome of anemia, where the amount hemoglobin in blood reduces leading to short and difficult breathing and thus weakness
6. Nausea and vomiting: Nausea is a condition of feeling sick and vomiting indicates being sick these are few common occurrences after chemotherapy