IMRT Versus IMPT With Concurrent Chemotherapy for Locally Advanced Anal Canal Cancer

Proton therapy is a form of radiation treatment in which high doses can be delivered within the tumour while relatively sparing the surrounding normal tissues. This may help further reduce the side-effects of radiation treatment observed with IMRT.

The standard management of carcinoma of the anal canal is radiotherapy using the IMRT technique along with concurrent chemotherapy. The use of IMRT has reduced the treatment-related side-effects as compared to older radiation techniques. However, further reducing these side effects poses a major challenge.