Hyperthermia is an additional option in the treatment of squamous cell cancer of the anal canal

Purpose: to estimate the rate of locoregional recurrence and distant metastases, and the grade of chemoradiotherapy toxicity when in combination with local hyperthermia for treating squamous cell anal canal cancer T1-4N0,1-3M0-1. Materials and methods. 112 patients with squamous cell anal canal cancer were treated between 2011 and 2015 with chemotherapy, radiation therapy based on 3D CRT, intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and volumetric intensity modulated arc therapy (VMAT), and local hypothermia. Staging was based on TNM (7th edition): I - 4 (3.6%) patients, II - 39 (34.8%) patients; IIIA - 33 (29.5%) patients, IIIB - 34 (30.3%) patients and IV - 2 (1.8%) patients. The median of mean follow-up was 32 months (range, 3-63 months). Local hyperthermia was performed in 81 (72.3%) patients. Results. 2-year local control was 73.2%. All recurrences, no matter which chemotherapy was performed, were in patients with advanced disease (IIIA/IIIB stages), from which 22.2% relapses were in group without local hyperthermia vs. 4.7% in group with radiomodification, p=0.038. Distant metastases were found in 9.4% patients with hyperthermia and in 11.1% patients without radiomodification, p=1. Usage of local hyperthermia is associated with increase II grade of dermatological toxicity (p=0.056). Conclusion. The combination of local hyperthermia and modern technologies of conformal radiation therapy has influenced the decrease of locoregional recurrences, but it is associated with lack of influence on distant metastases appearance regardless on chemotherapy regimen.