Cancer of the colon and rectum: a review of the newer technics in diagnosis and treatment.
The greatest improvements in the survival rates of patients with carcinoma of the colon and rectum have come with the application of sound principles of cancer surgery. This, coupled with the decrease in operative mortality that accompanied the wide use of thorough bowel preparation and improved postoperative care, has brought surgery to its present plateau. Further improvements have come with difficulty. Wider application of adequate resection and the use of preoperative irradiation may improve survival somewhat. However, the maximal benefits probably have already been derived from operative therapy. Early and more thorough diagnostic technics might result in increased survival through earlier diagnosis. Development of a simple and highly accurate method for the detection of blood in the stool that could be applied widely probably would be the best screening procedure. Greater may come in the field of immunotherapy, along with a beter understanding of the body's immunologic mechanisms. At the present time, the surgeon must content himself with the application of thorough operative procedures.
D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D004564:Electrocoagulation; D004598:Electrosurgery; D006801:Humans; D008722:Methods; D011230:Precancerous Conditions; D011300:Preoperative Care; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*