1988 Volume 49 Issue 5 Pages 789-795
Cancer registry records of patients with cancer of the large bowel in Oxfordshire during the decade from 1968 to 1977 were analysed. There were 1, 999 cases among Oxfordshire residents reported to the Oxford Regional Cancer Registry in this period. Although surgical removal of the tumor was undertaken in 67.8% of patients, there were 448 cases (22.4%) who had no specific treatment. Of the latter group, 79% were 70 years of age or more and these represented 33.7% of all patients in this age group. The percentage of patients in whom no treatment was given rose strikingly from the age of 70 years. The commonest reason for not undertaking treatment was that the carcinoma was too advanced (77%).
With the increase in the incidence of cancer of the colon and rectum from 60 years of age, and with an increasing number of advanced case from the age of 70 years, it may be important to consider screening of asymptomatic individuals over 60 years old in order to improve their prognsis.
