Overview

• Anal cancer incidence in the U.S. rose by 2.9% annually for women and 1.6% for men from 2017 to 2021, with the sharpest rise among older white and Hispanic women.
• White women over 65 experienced the fastest increase, with cases growing by 4.3% annually to 11.4 per 100,000 in 2021, while Hispanic women in the same age group saw a 1.7% annual rise to 7.5 per 100,000.
• Experts attribute the trend to gaps in HPV vaccination coverage, as many older women were ineligible for the vaccine when it was first introduced in the mid-2000s.
• Current anal cancer screening guidelines focus on high-risk groups, such as those with HIV, and exclude older women, leaving this demographic underserved despite rising risks.
• If current trends persist, anal cancer cases among women over 65 could double in less than 17 years, prompting calls for updated screening protocols and broader vaccination outreach.