title: [Symptoms, tumor stage and primary treatment in patients with colorectal carcinoma].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To obtain population-related data, previously not available for Germany, regarding primary symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of patients with colorectal carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  During 1994, in the catchment area of Bonn (town of Bonn, districts of Euskirchen and Rhein-Sieg), there were 354 cases of newly diagnosed colorectal carcinoma. For all of them initial symptoms, primary diagnosis, cancer stage at time of diagnosis as well as surgical and conservative treatment were prospectively documented. By comparing entries from all relevant hospitals and doctors with those of the pathology institutes of the region, data of about 98% of all these patients were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average age of the patients was older (median of 69 for men, 72 for women) with more far metastases than in comparable groups reported by German university surgical departments. Only 4.6% of the group had occult blood in the stool as the only symptom. Most of the patients had local or regional metastases (T3-4: 63.9%; N1-3: 41%, respectively). Operations intended to be curative were possible in only 65.9% of the cohort. Adjuvant radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy was given to 11.7%, using current consensus recommendations.
authors.affiliation: Arbeitsgruppe Kolorektales Karzinom im Onkologischen Schwerpunkt Bonn.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mezger
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Löcherbach
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hagenhoff
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Funken
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Gallkowski
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Pfeifer
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sauerbruch
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011446:Prospective Studies