The results of 1115 patients with colorectal cancer treated over an 8-year period in a single hospital.

The results of treatment of 1115 patients with colorectal cancer, from one hospital, are presented. The mean age of the patients was 67.24 (+/- 0.35 SEM) years and there were the same number of male and female patients. Forty per cent of patients were admitted as an emergency, and 67% of the tumours were in the rectum or sigmoid colon. 46.7% of the patients were considered to have undergone a 'curative' resection. Six per cent of the tumours were Dukes' Stage A lesions; 37% were Stage B and 57% Stage C. Twenty-six per cent had liver metastases. The overall hospital mortality was 21.5% and the operative mortality 14%. One-third of the patients admitted as an emergency died during their first admission. The overall 5-year survival was 25.8%; those with Dukes' Stage A tumours had a 5-year survival of 82.1%, Stage B 53.6% and Stage C 12.8%. The sex, site of tumour or duration of symptoms had no effect on prognosis.