Anal cancer rising fastest among older women

A new study reveals that anal cancer is on the rise across the United States, with the fastest increases occurring among older white and Hispanic women.

This unexpected trend is prompting experts to reconsider current assumptions about who is at risk and to call for updates to screening recommendations.

Rates of anal cancer are rising fastest among white and Hispanic women over 65 groups not traditionally considered high risk, said Dr. Ashley Robinson, lead author of the study, which waspresented at Digestive Disease Week(DDW) 2025, and a resident at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital.

She noted that many older women missed out on the protective benefits of the HPV vaccine, which only became widely available after they aged out of eligibility.

HPV is often the villain

Human papillomavirus (HPV), a well-known driver of cervical cancer, is responsible for 90% of anal cancers. Researchers analyzed data from the National Cancer Institutes SEER database from 2017 to 2021, finding that anal cancer incidence rose by 2.9% annually for women and 1.6% for men.

White women over 65 saw the steepest increase, with a 4.3% annual rise, reaching 11.4 cases per 100,000 in 2021. Hispanic women in the same age group followed with a rate of 7.5 cases per 100,000.

If current trends continue, the incidence of anal cancer in women over 65 could double in under two decades, the study warns.

Although anal cancer accounts for just 1% of gastrointestinal cancers, the vast majority are linked to chronic HPV infection. Current guidelines recommend screening for high-risk groups like people living with HIV and organ transplant recipients, but older women the demographic now showing the fastest rise are not typically included.

This research underscores the need to promote HPV vaccination and revisit who should be screened for anal cancer, said Dr. Robinson. The findings were shared during DDW as part of a broader effort to raise awareness about shifting cancer risk patterns and the critical importance of prevention.