Laser Treatment BY ANAL CANCER Anorectal Cancer presents with bleeding or difficulty in defecation and early cases can be successfully treated with surgery using staplers. Anal cancer occurs in the anus, located at the end of the gastrointestinal tract. It is different from and less common than colorectal cancer, which is cancer of the colon or rectum. Anal cancer is rare, but the number of new cases is rising. According to the American Cancer Society, in 2017, there are likely to be about 8, 200 new cases, of which 5, 250 will affect women and 2, 950 will affect men. Around 1, 100 people are expected to die from anal cancer, including 650 women and 450 men. Various risk factors are linked to anal cancer, but infection with two types of the human papilloma virus (HPV) appear to underlie 79 percent of cases. Anal cancer is rare before the age of 35 years. The average age of diagnosis is in the early 60s. Men have a 1-in-500 chance of getting anal cancer, and the risk is slightly higher in women. Symptoms and signs Diagram of the sphincter Common symptoms of anal cancer may include rectal bleeding noticeable if there is blood on feces or toilet paper pain in the anal area lumps around the anus, which may be mistaken for piles, or hemorrhoids mucus or jelly-like discharge from the anus anal itching changes in bowel movements, including diarrhea, constipation, or thinning of stools fecal incontinence, or problems controlling bowel movements bloating women may experience lower back pain as the tumor presses on the vagina women may experience vaginal dryness.