Research into anal cancer
Researchers around the world are looking at better ways to treat anal cancer. They are also studying how to manage the side effects of some of these treatments.
Go to Cancer Research UK’s clinical trials database if you are looking for a trial for anal cancer in the UK. You need to talk to your specialist if there are any trials that you think you might be able to take part in
Research and clinical trials
All cancer treatments must be fully researched before they can be used for everyone. This is so we can be sure that:
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they work
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they work better than the treatments already available
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they are safe
To make sure the research is accurate, each trial has certain entry conditions for who can take part. These are different for each trial.
Hospitals do not take part in every clinical trial. Some trials are only done in a small number of hospitals, or in one area of the country. You may need to travel quite far if you take part in these trials.
About this research
Some of the research on this page has now stopped asking people to take part. But it takes time before the results are available. This is because the research teams follow the people taking part for a period of time to collect and analyse the information.
We have included information about these to give examples of the types of research being carried out.
Research into chemoradiotherapy treatment for anal cancer
Having 
and together (chemoradiotherapy) is a common treatment for anal cancer.
Many people have chemoradiotherapy as their first treatment. But some people may have chemoradiotherapy after surgery to remove the cancer. This may be if they have a stage 1 anal cancer and their doctor thinks there are still some cancer cells in the area. Or they are worried about the cancer coming back.
Researchers want to see if they can stop the cancer coming back by giving:
- a lower dose of chemoradiotherapy - this is for people who have cancer cells close to the area removed during surgery
- regular follow up appointments instead of chemoradiotherapy - this is for people who don't have cancer cells close to the area removed
Research into vaccine treatment for anal cancer
Human papilloma virus (HPV) is a common infection. It can be passed from one person to another by sexual contact. For most people the virus causes no harm and goes away without treatment. But people with HPV have an increased risk of developing anal cancer. There are different types of HPV. Type 16 (HPV16) is the most common in anal cancer.
Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is one of the building blocks of our cells. RNA vaccines are made in a laboratory with bits of RNA that are usually found in cancer cells. The vaccine helps the immune system to recognise and attack cancer cells. These vaccines are different to the ones used to protect us from disease.
Researchers are looking at a vaccine to treat people with anal cancer that has both:
- tested positive to HPV16
- come back after treatment
They want to find out how well it works and the best dose to use. They also want to know about any side effects of the treatment
Research into immunotherapy for anal cancer
Immunotherapy uses our immune system to fight cancer. It works by helping the immune system recognise and attack cancer cells.
New immunotherapy drugs
Researchers are looking at immunotherapy as a treatment for lots of different cancers. This includes anal cancer. In the UK, they are studying how well some new immunotherapy drugs might work:
- on their own
- in combination with other immunotherapy drugs
Adding immunotherapy to chemoradiotherapy
Researchers want to find out if it is safe to add an immunotherapy drug to standard chemoradiotherapy for anal cancer. They hope that having a drug called pembrolizumab as well as chemoradiotherapy will improve treatment.
Adding immunotherapy to chemotherapy
The chemotherapy combination of carboplatin and paclitaxel are usually the for anal cancer that has spread elsewhere in the body. Or that has come back after treatment and cannot be removed with surgery.
Researchers are looking at whether this combination works better if they add an immunotherapy drug called retifanlimab.
Research into the side effects of anal cancer treatment
Unfortunately, chemoradiotherapy to treat anal cancer can cause bowel problems. This is because the radiotherapy causes a thickening of the tissue in the treatment area. The thickening makes the tissue less stretchy. Doctors call this radiation fibrosis.
Palm oil supplement is made from a vegetable oil that comes from the fruit of oil palm trees. And pentoxifylline is used to treat poor blood flow in the arms and legs. Researchers hope that a combination of palm oil and pentoxifylline will reduce fibrosis and improve symptoms.
Our research into rare cancers
Anal cancer is a rare cancer. Find out more about our research into rare cancers. This includes our current and past research, and stories from people with a rare cancer.
