Radiotherapy for anal squamous cell carcinoma: must the upper pelvic nodes and the inguinal nodes be treated?

Background: Loco-regional failure is the predominant cause of death in anal squamous cell carcinoma. We assessed patterns of loco-regional recurrence to determine the impact of radiotherapy (RT) volumes on patient outcome.

Methods: Retrospective clinical study, including patients treated curatively with RT or chemo-radiotherapy between 1994 and 2007.