Anal squamous cell carcinoma: standards of care, new data and ongoing clinical trials

Purpose of review
To summarize current standards of care, discuss results of recent studies and present ongoing clinical trials for anal squamous cell carcinoma (ASCC).
Recent findings
Over the last year, no practice changing studies have been reported in the setting of localised ASCC. A number of retrospective analyses, however, have provided practice-informing data, such as those confirming the negative impact of low compliance to chemoradiotherapy (CRT) on patient outcomes. In contrast, and for the first time, randomized evidence has become available to inform the management of advanced tumours. The InterAACT trial represents a key milestone in the evidence-building process for this disease, establishing carboplatin plus paclitaxel as a new standard of care for treatment-naïve advanced ASCC patients. Furth…