Outcome of colorectal cancer

The outcome of 454 patients who presented with colorectal carcinoma during a 16 year period is reviewed: 54 per cent were males, 58 per cent were aged more than 60 and 10 per cent had an emergency admission, 42 per cent of tumours occurred in the rectum. A curative resection was possible in 68 per cent. Postoperative mortality was 7 per cent. The overall crude 5‐year survival was 41 per cent. The mortality from local recurrence was significantly higher in rectal (11.7 per cent) than in colonic cancer (8·8 per cent; P