Anal cancer is predominantly caused by HPV infection and is closely linked to HIV status, anal receptive intercourse, and immunosuppression. Standard chemoradiation cures most early-stage cases, but metastatic disease has been hard to treat — until immunotherapy began showing strong responses.
What's actually going on in research
Immune checkpoint inhibitors have shown remarkable activity in metastatic anal cancer, with response rates well above what chemotherapy achieves, and are moving into earlier treatment settings. HPV vaccination is expected to dramatically reduce anal cancer incidence in future generations, and surveillance studies in high-risk populations are refining screening protocols. Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is now standard and being further optimized to reduce bowel and urinary toxicity.
Checkpoint immunotherapy
Nivolumab and pembrolizumab show strong response rates in metastatic anal cancer and are being tested in combination with chemotherapy and in earlier-stage disease alongside chemoradiation.
HPV cancer prevention
HPV vaccination programs in adolescents and catch-up vaccination in adults are being tracked in long-term studies for their impact on anal cancer incidence in high-risk communities.
IMRT optimization
Intensity-modulated radiation therapy is being refined to deliver precise doses while reducing injury to surrounding bowel, bladder, and genitalia in anal cancer treatment.
What to know before you search
Eligibility depends on disease stage, HIV status, prior chemoradiation history, and PD-L1 or MMR status for immunotherapy trials.
What types of trials are currently open
- Systemic therapy trials — Testing checkpoint inhibitors and drug combinations for metastatic or recurrent anal squamous cell cancer.
- Chemoradiation trials — Optimizing chemotherapy agents and radiation doses for localized anal cancer.
- Prevention and screening trials — Testing HPV vaccination and high-resolution anoscopy screening in high-risk populations.
- HIV-positive patient trials — Testing standard and modified treatment regimens in people with HIV-associated anal cancer.
- Supportive care trials — Managing acute and chronic radiation toxicity including fistula, bowel, and bladder effects.
Recently added Anal Cancer trials
Chemoradiotherapy and Anti-PD-1 Antibody in Anal Squamous Cell Cancer：Chase
Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the anus is a rare malignancy. For localized anal squamous cell carcinoma , definitive chemoradiotherapy is the standard treatment. Patients who do not achieve complete response （CR）or experience recurrence require radical surgery with permanent colostomy. In previous studies of anal squamous cell carcinoma （ASCC）, although favorable response rates were achieved after concurrent chemoradiotherapy, high rates of local recurrence and distant metastasis were also observed in patients with locally advanced disease, which adversely affect patient survival. Clinical studies have demonstrated that single-agent PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, including nivolumab and pembrolizumab, show promising efficacy in advanced anal squamous cell carcinoma. Given the high recurrence rate associated with current concurrent chemoradiotherapy regimens and the characteristics of the immune microenvironment in anal cancer, the combination of immunotherapy with concurrent chemoradiotherapy is expected to improve therapeutic outcomes. Therefore, we designed this prospective, multicenter, phase II clinical study to investigate the efficacy and safety of concurrent chemoradiotherapy combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors in anal cancer. This study aims to enhance the therapeutic effect for patients with locally advanced, recurrent, or metastatic anal squamous cell carcinoma and reduce adverse events in patients with high-risk factors after local excision or in early-stage disease. The primary endpoints are local tumor control rate, overall survival, and radiation-related toxicity. The results will provide evidence for subsequent randomized controlled trials.
Concordance and Acceptability of Self-screening Compared to Screening Carried Out by a Health Professional for HPV, a Risk Factor for Anal Cancer, by Swab in People Living With HIV. A Randomized Controlled Crossover Study
Comunity health actions are set up in populations of women aged 30 to 65 in vulnerable situations living in the outlying areas of Reunion Island. The idea is to evaluate those action on health
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