Unsuspected anal cancer discovered after minor anorectal surgery

Summary The possibility of an early anal cancer should always be kept in mind when treating common chronic anorectal disease. Preliminary biopsy of suspect anal areas should always be done before anorectal surgery is performed. All tissues removed during minor anorectal surgery should be examined histologically. Each surgical specimen should be labeled individually to identify the site of origin. A recent ten-year survev at the University of California Medical Center showed an incidence of unsuspected early anal cancers in 1.9 per cent of tissues examined routinely by the pathologist after minor anorectal surgical procedures.