Diagnosis of colorectal carcinoma

The authors analyzed a group of 207 patients operated on for colorectal carcinoma at the 1st Department of Surgery, Medical Faculty of Comenius University, in the years 1994-1998. They detected a high number of patients in stages C and D according to Dukes' classification--53.1% and a high percentage of patients with liver metastases (42%). The number of urgent operations in this five year follow-up increases gradually, which signalizes no improvement in early diagnostics of colorectal carcinoma. The first symptom of this disease was in 37% of cases bowel obstruction (ileus) or another complication of the underlying disease. It is clear from this analysis, that the early diagnostics of colorectal carcinoma is not improving. The authors also analyse the possibilities of improving this situation and the new possibilities of early diagnostics of colorectal carcinoma. (Tab. 2, Ref. 13.)