WASHINGTON — Anal cancer is a major issue in the older adult population, especially for those identifying as sexually diverse, and it is “not yet talked about enough,” Klint Peebles, MD, said at the ElderDerm 2025 conference on dermatology in the older patient population.

Between 2001 and 2015, the incidence of anal squamous cell carcinoma rose 2.7% per year in the US, according to a published analysis of the US Cancer Statistics dataset, with statistically significant increases in people aged 50 years or older, especially in women. Moreover, deaths from anal cancer rose 3.1% each year during that period.

“Not only are rates rising, but we’re seeing later-stage diagnoses rise as well,” said Peebles, a dermatologist with Kaiser Permanente, Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group, in Washi

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