Anal Cancer
When you’re a patient at Swedish, we don’t just treat your anal cancer – we treat you. We use the most advanced treatments to create a highly personalized care plan. We also support you and your loved ones with a full range of services throughout your entire cancer journey. The result is effective, whole-person care for the body, mind and spirit.
Talk to Someone or Make an Appointment
Phone: 1-855-XCANCER
Why Choose Us for Anal Cancer Care?
At Swedish, we see the life in you. Together, let’s finish cancer – so you don’t have to miss any of life’s special moments.
About Anal Cancer
Anal cancer is a form of gastrointestinal cancer that occurs when cancer cells form in the anus or anal canal. It is more common in people over 50 but can occur at any age. The expert oncology teams at Swedish use the most effective therapies to treat patients with every type of anal cancer and its related conditions.
Testing and Diagnostics
Diagnostic tools help our cancer clinicians determine which therapies will work best for each patient, based on many factors such as cancer type and the genetic or molecular profile of the tumor. Your doctors will use multiple advanced diagnostic and prognostic tools to help design your individualized treatment plan. Depending on your case, this may include one or more of the following:
- Biopsy
- Digital rectal exam
- Fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy
- Genetics and genomics
- Gynecologic exam
- High-resolution anoscopy
- HIV testing
- Interventional radiology
- Lymph node exam
- MRI
- Pathology
- PET/CT scan
Personalized Treatment for Anal Cancer
We take a team approach to your anal cancer treatment because we know this offers the best success in controlling and curing cancer. Your multidisciplinary cancer care team will work with you to design an individualized cancer care plan, from diagnosis to post-treatment support. We offer many different therapies across our Swedish locations. Depending on your condition, your personal care plan may include one or more of the following:
Systemic therapies travel through the bloodstream and affect cells in other body parts. They are used for patients whose cancer has spread to other areas of the body or if there’s a high risk of spread. Sophisticated genetic analysis allows us to target therapies to specific DNA mutations that cause cancer cells to develop and grow. Systemic therapies include:
- Biomarker/genomic clinical trials (TAPUR, MATCH) Note: This advanced therapy is not available at all Swedish locations.
- Cooperative group (NCTN) clinical trials Note: This advanced therapy is not available at all Swedish locations.
- Chemoradiotherapy
- Chemotherapy
- Immunotherapy
Surgical therapies involve an operation or procedure to remove cancer from the body. Surgery may be the main treatment for some invasive cancers, but it’s only one part of the entire treatment plan. Surgical therapies include:
- Robotic abdominal perineal resection
Radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation from a source like X-rays or photons to kill cancer cells or shrink tumors. It may be part of a treatment plan that also includes systemic therapies and/or surgery. Radiation is sometimes used to help ease a patient’s pain or discomfort. Radiation therapies include:
- Intensity-modulated radiation therapy(IMRT) and volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) Note: This advanced therapy is not available at all Swedish locations.
- Radiopharmaceuticals (y90) Note: This advanced therapy is not available at all Swedish locations.
- Stereotactic radiation (SABR/SBRT) Note: This advanced therapy is not available at all Swedish locations.
- Surface-guided radiation therapy (SGRT/SIGRT) Note: This advanced therapy is not available at all Swedish locations.
- Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT)
Additional therapies may also be part of the treatment plan for a small number of patients. These may include:
- Interventional radiology
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Accreditations
We are proud to see our dedication to our cancer patients recognized by some of the most well-respected programs and institutions in the United States. Swedish Cancer Institute’s Rectal Cancer Program is among the first 25 in the nation and the first in the Pacific Northwest to earn accreditation from the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer. Several of our Swedish locations have achieved the following accreditations:
- Accountable Care Organizations (ACO) Accreditation – National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)
- American College of Radiology (ACR) Accreditation
- Accreditation Program for Excellence (APEx) – American Society of Radiation Oncology (ASTRO)
- Commission on Cancer (CoC) Accreditation – American College of Surgeons (ACS)
- Integrated Network Cancer Program (INCP) – American College of Surgeons (ACS)
- National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer Programs – American College of Surgeons (ACS)
- Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI) Certification – American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
Meet the Team
At Swedish, you'll have access to a vast network of dedicated and compassionate providers who offer personalized care by focusing on treatment, prevention and health education.
Find Clinical Trials
Are you looking for a clinical trial for yourself or for a patient? We’d love to help you find one!