Læknablaðið - 01.12.1976, Side 47

LÆKNABLAÐIÐ
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the rectum, 59 males and 35 females. Average
age was 65.4 years and 64.2 years respectively.
Two patients (females) had multiple lesions
i. e. cancer both in the colon and rectum.
The most common initial symptom in the
cancer coli group was abdominal pain but in
the cancer recti group the most common initial
symptom was change in bowel habits.
On the whole, the three most dominating
symptoms in the cancer coli group were change
in bowel habits in 77%, abdominal pain in
71%, general weakness and loss of weight in
55%.
In the cancer recti group the three most
common symptoms were change in bowel
habits 87%, visible blood in stools 65%, pain
in 47%.
54 of the 238 patients with cancer in the
large bowel or 23% were admitted to the
Surgical Department because of acute illness
obstruction or perforation.
136 patients or 57% of the cases came to
the Surgical Dspartment within less than 6
months from the onset of symptoms but in
29% the duration of symptoms was from one
to three years before admission. 81 patient
or 34% consulted a doctor in the first month
after onset of symptoms. Of these 41 patient
or 50% were admitted for treatment within
1 month from first consultation and 85%
within 6 months. 9% of those patients were
admitted after a year or more.
In a few of these cases it was not possible
to discern the reason for the delay in admis-
sion. Some were delayed because of normal
diagnostic difficulties but in the majority of
them, we have to admit that the doctor was
to blame.
About 53% of these earcinomas should have
been detectable with rectal exploration and
an ordinary rectosigmoidoscopy i. e. all rectal
cancers and 50% of cancer of the sigmoid
colon.
226 of the 238 patients or 95% underwent
some type of surgical intervention. Palliative
or explorative surgery was carried out in 71
cases; with 24% primary mortality in the
cancer coli group (50 cases) and 14.3% primary
mortality in the cancer recti group (21 cases).
Surgery for cure was possible in 88 cases or
62% of the cancer coli group and in 67 cases
or 70% of the cancer recti group. Primary
mortality was 4.5% in both these groups among
the radically treated patients.
Five years survival rate of the radically
treated (1952-1964) was 51.9%. 5 year sur-
vival rate for the whole material with five
year observations time (118 cases) was 33.9%.