What to know about anal skin cancer

Doctors may also call this perianal skin cancer. The exact boundary between perianal skin and the anal canal matters because location, tumour cell type and spread influence whether care involves surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy or combined treatment.

Diagnosis generally requires examination and removal of a small tissue sample. A pathology report identifies the cell type, while examination and imaging can help determine the lesion's depth, its relationship to the anal sphincter and whether lymph nodes need assessment.

Anal skin cancer can present with a persistent sore, thickened patch, growth, bleeding, discomfort or itching. These features can also accompany haemorrhoids, fissures, irritation and infections, so a lasting skin change should be examined rather than judged by appearance alone.

Request a copy of the pathology result and ask the team to show where the lesion sits in relation to the anal canal. Discuss whether local removal is feasible, whether other therapy is recommended and how each option could affect healing, bowel movements and sphincter function.

Gentle cleansing, avoiding fragranced products and reporting new skin breakdown may reduce irritation while assessment is under way. Do not apply caustic wart treatments or steroid creams to an unexplained lesion unless a clinician who has examined it recommends them.

Book an examination for a sore that does not heal, a growing or changing patch, recurrent anal bleeding, persistent itching or pain, or a new lump in the groin. Obtain urgent care if bleeding is heavy, pain rapidly becomes severe, fever accompanies spreading redness, or weakness and faintness develop.

Ask: Is the lesion on perianal skin or within the anal canal? What cell type and depth did the biopsy show? Are lymph nodes involved? How might the proposed treatment affect skin healing, continence and comfort during bowel movements?