What is the optimal treatment for T1N0 anal squamous cell carcinoma? Analysis of current practices in the prospective French FFCD ANABASE cohort.

INTRODUCTION: for localized T1N0 squamous cell carcinoma of the anus (SCCA) standard radiotherapy (RT) may result in overtreatment and alternative strategies are debated. METHODS: T1N0M0 SCCA treated between 2015 and 2020 by local excision (LE) or RT were analyzed from the French prospective FFCD ANABASE cohort. Treatment strategies, recurrence-free and colostomy-free survivals (RFS, CFS) and prognostic factors were reported. RESULTS: among 1135 SCCA patients, 99 T1N0M0 were treated by LE(n = 17,17.2%), or RT (n = 82,82.8%) including RT alone (n = 65,79.2%) or chemo-RT (n = 17, 20.7%). Median follow-up was 27.2 months [0.03-54.44]. Median tumor size were 11.4 mm [0.9-20] and 15.3 mm [2-20] in the LE and RT groups respectively. Mean RT tumor dose was 59.4 Gy [18-69.4 Gy]. One patient in LE group and 9 in RT group had a pelvic recurrence, either local (60%), nodal (10%) or both (30%). RFS and CFS at 24 months were 92.2%[95%CI,83.4-96.4] and 94.6%[95%CI,86.1-98.0], at 36 months 88.1%[95%CI,77.1-94.2] and 88.5%[95%CI,77.0-94.5], in LE and RT group respectively, without any significative difference (HR = 0.57;[95%CI,0.07-4.45];p = 0.60). By univariate analysis, male gender was the only prognostic factor(HR = 5.57;95%CI, 1.76-17.63; p = 0.004). CONCLUSION: this cohort confirms the heterogeneity of T1N0M0 SCCA management, questioning the place of RT alone, reduced dose or RT volume, and the safety of LE.

Correction to: Prevalence of anal symptoms in general practice: a prospective study.

Following publication of the original article [1], the authors reported an error to one of the 'study groups' in the authorship section.

Prevalence of anal symptoms in general practice: a prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Anal disorders are largely underestimated in general practice. Studies have shown patients conceal anal symptoms leading to late diagnosis and treatment. Management by general practitioners is poorly described. The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of anal symptoms and their management in general practice. METHODS: In this prospective, observational, national study set in France, all adult patients consulting their general practitioner during 2 days of consultation were included. Anal symptoms, whether spontaneously revealed or not, were systematically collected and assessed. For symptomatic patients, the obstacles to anal examination were evaluated. The general practitioner's diagnosis was collected and a proctologist visit was systematically proposed in case of anal symptoms. If the proctologist was consulted, his or her diagnosis was collected. RESULTS: From October 2014 to April 2015, 1061 patients were included by 57 general practitioners. The prevalence of anal symptoms was 15.6% (95% CI: 14-18). However, 85% of these patients did not spontaneously share their symptoms with their doctors, despite a discomfort rating of 3 out of 10 (range 1-5). Although 65% of patients agreed to an anal examination, it was not proposed in 45% of cases with anal symptoms. Performing the examination was associated with a significantly higher diagnosis rate of 76% versus 20% (p < 0.001). Proctologist and general practitioner diagnoses were consistent in 14 out of 17 cases. CONCLUSIONS: Patients' concealed anal symptoms are significant in general practice despite the impact on quality of life. Anal examination is seldom done. Improved training of general practitioners is required to break the taboo.

Combined approach with infliximab, surgery, and methotrexate in severe fistulizing anoperineal Crohn's disease: results from a prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Infliximab is the only medical therapy that has been proven to be effective in fistulizing Crohn's disease (CD), but the recurrence rate of fistulas is high despite maintenance therapy. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the short- and long-term efficacy of a combined schedule with infliximab, methotrexate, and sphincter-sparing surgery in patients with severe fistulizing anoperineal CD. METHODS: From January 2006 to November 2007, all consecutive patients in three referral centers with severe fistulizing anoperineal CD were prospectively included after primary drainage. At inclusion, patients received three infliximab infusions at weeks 0, 2, and 6, and maintenance therapy with methotrexate. A second optimized surgical step consisting of at least removal of setons was performed between the second and the third infliximab infusions. RESULTS: Thirty-four CD patients (26 women; median age 38.5 years) with complex anoperineal fistula were enrolled (including 9 with recto-vaginal fistulas, and 10 with anorectal stenosis). At week 14 the response rate was 85% with 74% complete responders. At 1 year, 50% were still responders; luminal CD worsening was the major cause of relapse. Median Perineal Disease Activity Index (PDAI) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scores significantly decreased from baseline to week 50. CONCLUSIONS: A combined approach with infliximab induction, two surgical sphincter-sparing steps and methotrexate is effective in achieving short-term response in severe fistulizing anoperineal CD. The best maintenance regimen remains to be determined.

Ectopic cutaneous schistosomiasis-perigenital infiltrative granulomata in a 34-year-old French pregnant woman.

Schistosomiasis, an infection with the three anthropophilic species of Schistosoma, is endemic throughout wide areas of the tropics and subtropics with an estimated rate of over 200 million people infected worldwide. Whereas symptoms and signs of vesical and gastrointestinal forms of the infection are recognized readily, cutaneous manifestations are still a challenging diagnosis particularly in Western countries. A case is described of a 34-year-old Caucasian pregnant woman who presented to our department and was diagnosed with a cutaneous schistosomiasis involvement of the perianal region. Shistosoma haematobium was shown to be present in the lesion by histopathology and was considered to be the causative organism of the disease. Treatment with a course of oral praziquantel in a dose of 40mg/kg allowed resolution of the symptoms.

Local excision of large rectal villous adenomas: long-term results.

PURPOSE: Transanal excision of rectal villous adenomas is a widely used surgical technique, because it is a one-step procedure, requiring no sophisticated instrumentation, and allowing complete histologic analysis of the excised tumor. Therefore, it ranks alongside radical surgery and palliative destructive procedures, but its results are highly variable in the published series. This discrepancy may be explained by the variable completeness of tumor excision because of potential dissection difficulties. Because intraoperative exposure may be a major limiting factor, one of us (JF) has developed a tractable cutaneomucous flap procedure to lower the rectal tumor to the anal verge, where control of the dissection line is easier. This retrospective review of consecutive patients operated on during ten-year period reports long-term results after transanal excision for large rectal villous adenomas with the tractable flap technique. PATIENTS: From 1978 to 1988, 207 consecutive patients (100 males), mean age 68 (range, 24-90) years, were operated on for an apparently benign villous rectal adenoma. Twenty-one patients (10 percent) were referred after failure of previous treatments: 11 endoscopic, 8 surgical, 1 laser, 1 radiotherapy. Mean distance of lower tumor edge from anal margin was 5.6 (range, 0-13) cm and was <10 cm in 82 percent. RESULTS: Three patients (1.5 percent), including one with a Tis carcinoma, underwent a secondary treatment for immediate gross failure of resection: one further local excision and two palliative laser destructions. Immediate postoperative course was uneventful for 96 percent; there was one death from perineal gangrenous infection, four cases of hemorrhage, and three urinary retentions. Subsequently one case of transient fecal incontinence and 11 medically managed stenoses were noted. Mean size of resected tumor was 5.4 (range, 1-17) cm. Deep excision margins concerned the rectal muscular layers in 199 patients (96 percent) and perirectal fat in 8 (4 percent). Specimen margins were negative for cancer in 175 (85 percent) and positive or unknown in 32 cases. Histologic evaluation demonstrated in situ cancer in 28 (14 percent) and invasive carcinoma in 9 (4 percent). In three patients (1 percent), two abdominoperineal resections were immediately performed (one T2 with a mucinous contingent, one T3) and one adjuvant radiotherapy (one undifferentiated T2). Four patients (2 percent) did not return for postoperative evaluation. For the remaining 198 patients, mean follow-up was 74 +/- 34 (median, 75; range, 1-168) months. Forty-four died from unrelated causes. Recurrence occurred in seven (3.6 percent) and was malignant in two, who subsequently died. Specific recurrence-free probability was 99.5 percent at one year, 96 percent at five years, and 95 percent at ten years. A lesion size >6 cm (10 vs. 1 percent for smaller tumors) and the presence of an invasive carcinoma (20 vs. 3 percent without invasive carcinoma) were significantly associated with an increased probability of recurrence at five years. CONCLUSION: Providing that adequate intraoperative exposure is obtained and advanced malignant tumors receive immediate secondary treatment, transanal resection of clinically benign, large rectal villous adenomas is safe and effective. It is an alternative to rectal resection, which exposes the patient to potentially adverse effects, and also to destructive procedures, which preclude any histologic evaluation of the tumor.