To the Editor: Dr Ajani and colleagues1 compared a combination of fluorouracil, mitomycin, and radiotherapy vs fluorouracil, cisplatin, and radiotherapy for the treatment of anal canal carcinoma. The 2 study groups had similar levels of toxicity, and the adherence to both chemotherapy and radiotherapy was comparable. However, there were some differences in treatment results.
One possible explanation for the significantly better time to colostomy in the standard treatment group is not linked to the chemotherapy itself, but rather to the immediate starting of radiotherapy. In the experimental group, radiation was delayed for almost 2 months. The importance of immediate combined treatment has been shown for laryngeal cancer2 and may also be true for anal carcinoma, which is especially sensitive to radiotherapy.3
Financial Disclosures: None reported.
Country-Specific Mortality and Growth Failure in Infancy and Yound Children and Association With Material Stature
Use interactive graphics and maps to view and sort country-specific infant and early dhildhood mortality and growth failure data and their association with maternal
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