Population‐based study of the treatment and prognosis of carcinoma of the rectum

Background Few population-based studies address the issue of treatment of carcinoma of the rectum (15 cm or less from the anal vcrge) both from surgical and epidemiological aspects. Methods Some 827 patients were analysed in the cancer registry of the Cote-d'Or (Burgundy, France) from 1976 to 1990 (493 931 inhabitants). Results Resection for cure increased from 57.2 per cent before 1981 to 77.0 per cent after 1985 (P <11.001), and the proportion of Dukes A and B cascs from 35.8 to 52.5 per cent (P< 0.001). Among patients resected for cure, continence-preserving resections were performed more frequently during the 1986-1990 period (48.0 per cent) than during the two previous 5-year periods (…