Cytology in Anal Cancer Screening: Practical Review for Clinicians

2019 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 281-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreia Albuquerque
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Screening ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Anal Cancer ◽  
Risk Groups ◽  
Hiv Positive ◽  
Solid Organ ◽  
Anal Squamous Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Incidence And Mortality ◽  
Anal Cytology ◽  
Anal Cancer Screening

The incidence and mortality of anal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are expected to continue to increase in the next 20 years. High-risk groups for anal SCC, i.e., human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients, men who have sex with men (MSM), women with previous genital neoplasia, and solid-organ transplant recipients, have been identified. HIV-positive MSM have the highest risk, and some societies have advocated for anal cancer screening to be done in this population. Screening for anal SCC follows the same principles as that for cervical cancer since there are similarities between the two types of cancers. Anal cytology has been recommended as an initial screening method for high-risk groups, e.g., HIV-positive MSM. Normally, the cytology is liquid based and collected blindly by a clinician using a Dacron swab and it is especially used for internal lesions detection. The sensitivity to predict anal high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions is higher in immunosuppressed patients with a high burden of the disease. The report should include the classification, normally according to the Bethesda terminology and the sample adequacy, in a manner similar to that for cervical cytology. In cases involving unsatisfactory samples, it is important to repeat the procedure given the prevalence of anal squamous cytological abnormalities in follow-up cytology procedures. The absence of transformation zone cells in anal cytology seems to increase the risk of false-negative results.

scholarly journals Recommendations Favoring Anal Cytology as a Method for Anal Cancer Screening: A Systematic Review

Cancers ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1942 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreia Albuquerque ◽  
Elisabete Rios ◽  
Fernando Schmitt
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Screening ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Anal Cancer ◽  
Risk Groups ◽  
The United States ◽  
Hiv Positive ◽  
Solid Organ ◽  
Transplant Recipients ◽  
Anal Cytology ◽  
Anal Cancer Screening

Clinicians are increasingly facing the decision of performing anal cancer screening in high-risk groups. Anal cytology is commonly the first approach. We systematically reviewed recommendations favoring anal cytology for anal cancer screening. Three databases were searched: PubMed, Scopus, and Embase, from January 2007 to 12 September 2019. The references cited by the retrieved articles and the websites of relevant organizations were also searched without language restrictions. Studies reporting guidelines from regional or national societies, institutes, or groups were included. Eight papers met the inclusion criteria and were selected, five were from the United States of America (USA) and three from Europe. There were no national recommendations published. There was one guideline specifically for solid-organ transplant recipients. The other seven targeted HIV-positive patients, with HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM) included as a screening group in all of these. Two recommendations favored screening in all HIV-positive patients. Five recommendations targeting HIV-positive patients made considerations about the cytology follow-up, recommending at least annual cytology in case of a normal result, and in case of squamous cytological abnormalities, a referral for anoscopy/high-resolution anoscopy. There were no recommendations for upper and lower age limits for screening. In conclusion, several societies recommend anal cancer screening using anal cytology in HIV-positive MSM patients. There is a lack of screening recommendations for other high-risk groups, with only one society recommending screening in transplant recipients.

New Insights into the Role of Human Papillomavirus in Anal Cancer and Anal Wart Development

2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 118-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreia Albuquerque ◽  
Rui Medeiros
Keyword(s):  
Human Papillomavirus ◽  
Cancer Screening ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Anal Cancer ◽  
Squamous Cell ◽  
Benign Lesion ◽  
Premalignant Lesions ◽  
Solid Organ ◽  
Anal Squamous Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Anal Cancer Screening

Human papillomavirus is associated with several anogenital and oropharyngeal lesions, including warts, premalignant lesions, and cancer. There are specific groups that were identified as high-risk groups for anal squamous cell carcinoma and anal human papillomavirus infection, namely HIV-positive patients, men who have sex with men, women with genital tract neoplasia, and solid organ transplant recipients. Condylomas have classically been considered to be a benign lesion, with an exception made for the Buschke-Loewenstein tumor, but several publications have shown that a high percentage of condylomas harbor high-grade lesions. Due to the similarities between anal and cervical carcinogenesis, anal cancer screening based on anal cytology and referral to high-resolution anoscopy, in case of abnormalities, have been advocated. Testing for anal human papillomavirus is not routinely done in anal cancer screening, because of the very high prevalence in high-risk populations. The large majority of anal cancers are squamous cell carcinomas (SCC), and around 90% are attributed to human papillomavirus. Human papillomavirus positivity in anal SCC seems to have a prognostic value, with better survival in those patients with positive tumors. Prophylactic vaccination has been shown to be important for prevention of anal human papillomavirus-related lesions.

scholarly journals Knowledge of Anal Cancer, Anal Cancer Screening, and HPV in HIV-Positive and High-Risk HIV-Negative Women

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 606-615 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica S. Wells ◽  
Lisa Flowers ◽  
Sudeshna Paul ◽  
Minh Ly Nguyen ◽  
Anjali Sharma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Screening ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Anal Cancer ◽  
Hiv Positive ◽  
Anal Cancer Screening ◽  
Hiv Negative

scholarly journals The Prognostic Value of the New Combined Hemo-Eosinophil Inflammation Index (HEI Index): A Multicenter Analysis of Anal Cancer Patients Treated with Concurrent Chemo-Radiation

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 671
Author(s):  
Margherita Rimini ◽  
Pierfrancesco Franco ◽  
Berardino De Bari ◽  
Maria Giulia Zampino ◽  
Stefano Vagge ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Anal Cancer ◽  
Prognostic Score ◽  
Univariate Analysis ◽  
External Validation ◽  
Risk Groups ◽  
Anal Squamous Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Predictors Of Response ◽  
Risk Patients

Anal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a rare tumor, and bio-humoral predictors of response to chemo-radiation (CT-RT) are lacking. We developed a prognostic score system based on laboratory inflammation parameters. We investigated the correlation between baseline clinical and laboratory variables and disease-free (DFS) and overall (OS) survival in anal SCC patients treated with CT-RT in five institutions. The bio-humoral parameters of significance were included in a new scoring system, which was tested with other significant variables in a Cox’s proportional hazard model. A total of 308 patients was included. We devised a prognostic model by combining baseline hemoglobin level, SII, and eosinophil count: the Hemo-Eosinophils Inflammation (HEI) Index. We stratified patients according to the HEI index into low- and high-risk groups. Median DFS for low-risk patients was not reached, and it was found to be 79.5 months for high-risk cases (Hazard Ratio 3.22; 95% CI: 2.04–5.10; p < 0.0001). Following adjustment for clinical covariates found significant at univariate analysis, multivariate analysis confirmed the HEI index as an independent prognostic factor for DFS and OS. The HEI index was shown to be a prognostic parameter for DFS and OS in anal cancer patients treated with CT-RT. An external validation of the HEI index is mandatory for its use in clinical practice.

A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Anal Cancer Screening in HIV-Positive Women

2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 275-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gweneth Bratton Lazenby ◽  
Elizabeth Ramsey Unal ◽  
Anne Lintzenich Andrews ◽  
Kit Simpson
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Cancer Screening ◽  
Anal Cancer ◽  
Cost Effectiveness Analysis ◽  
Hiv Positive ◽  
Effectiveness Analysis ◽  
Hiv Positive Women ◽  
Anal Cancer Screening
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