Purpose
The incidence of anal squamous carcinoma in males who have sex with males is rising. We reported that infrared coagulation of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions in HIV-positive males who have sex with males yielded a recurrence rate after the first ablation of 65 percent and 58 percent after a second ablation. The cure rate of an individual lesion was 72 percent. We endeavored to determine whether this technique demonstrates improved results in HIV-negative males who have sex with males.
Methods
We performed a retrospective review of medical records on HIV-negative males who have sex with males who had infrared coagulation ablation of anal high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions. Patients had at least six months' follow-up with cytology, high-resolution anoscopy, and biopsy. Recurrent high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions were retreated.
Results
Seventy-five patients were enrolled, with a median age of 36 years, and 113 lesions were treated. Forty patients (53 percent) developed a recurrence in a median time of 238 days and 35 patients (47 percent) were disease free for a median of 516 days. When patients were treated a second or third time, recurrence rates dropped to 28 and 0 percent, respectively. The probability of successfully treating an individual lesion at first infrared coagulation was 81 percent and 93 percent when retreated. HIV-positive patients were twice as likely to have lesions persist and 1.7 times more likely to develop a recurrent high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion. No patient developed squamous-cell carcinoma, anal stenosis, or had a serious complication.
Conclusions
Infrared coagulation is a safe and effective office-based procedure for treating anal high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions. Although recurrence was high after the first infrared coagulation, repeated treatment led to resolution of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions. Treatment success with infrared coagulation is significantly superior in HIV-negative patients compared with HIV-positive patients.
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Acknowledgments
The authors thank Dr. Barbara Winkler for her time and guidance with the pathology and cytology and Erin Moshier for her help with the statistical analysis.
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Supported in part by supplies for the Infrared Coagulator furnished by Redfield Corporation, Rochelle Park, New Jersey. Joshua Hundert’s participation was partially funded through the Mount Sinai School of Medicine Alumni Summer Research Fellowship. The study was approved by the Mount Sinai School of Medicine Institutional Review Board.
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Goldstone, S.E., Hundert, J.S. & Huyett, J.W. Infrared Coagulator Ablation of High-Grade Anal Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions in HIV-Negative Males Who Have Sex with Males. Dis Colon Rectum 50, 565–575 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10350-006-0874-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10350-006-0874-x