Effect of age, period of diagnosis and birth cohort on large bowel cancer incidence in a well-defined French population, 1976-1995.

The objective of this study was to present trends in colorectal cancer incidence by sex and subsite in a well-defined French population. All of the 4486 large bowel cancer cases registered between 1976 and 1995 in the Burgundy registry of digestive tract cancers was included in this study. Time trends in colorectal cancer incidence were analysed over the 1976-95 period. The effects of age, period and cohort were evaluated using a log-linear Poisson model. The incidence rates for right colon cancer increased over time: + 21.6% (95% CI: + 13.5; + 29.7) per 5-year period in males and +10.4% (95% CI: + 3.4; + 17.3) in females. Left colon cancer rates increased in males (+ 10.6% 95% CI: + 4.6; + 16.6). Left colon cancer in females and rectal cancer incidence rates did not significantly change. Between the 1901 cohort to the 1941 cohort, estimated cumulative risks for right colon cancer increased sharply. The increase was less marked for left colon and the cumulative risk for rectal cancer remained almost stable. Temporal trends were different by subsites and sexes. In conclusion, our results confirm the existence of different trends in colorectal cancer incidence between subsites and sexes. These differences probably reflect aetiological distinctions.

Colon cancer in France: evidence for improvement in management and survival.

BACKGROUND: Cancer registries recording all cases diagnosed in a well defined population represent the only way to assess real changes in the management of colon cancer at the population level. AIMS: To determine trends over a 23 year period in treatment, stage at diagnosis, and prognosis of colon cancer in the Côte-d'Or region, France. PATIENTS: A total of 3389 patients with colon cancer diagnosed between 1976 and 1998. METHODS: Time trends in clinical presentation, surgical treatment, chemotherapy treatment, stage at diagnosis, postoperative mortality, and survival were studied. A non-conditional logistic regression was performed to obtain an odds ratio for each period adjusted for the other variables. To estimate the independent effect of the period on prognosis, a relative survival analysis was performed. RESULTS: Between 1976 and 1991, the resection rate increased from 69.3% to 91.9% and then remained stable. This increase was particularly marked in the older age group (56.4% to 90.5%). The proportion of stage III patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy rose from 4.1% for the 1989-1990 period to 45.7% for the 1997-1998 period. Over the 23 years of the study the proportion of stage I and II patients increased from 39.6% to 56.6%, associated with a corresponding decrease in the proportion of patients with advanced stages. Postoperative mortality decreased from 19.5% to 7.3%. This led to an improvement in five year relative survival (from 33.0% for the 1976-1979 period to 55.3% for the 1992-1995 period). CONCLUSIONS: Advances in the management of colon cancer have resulted in improving the prognosis of this disease. However, progress is still possible, particularly in the older age group.

[Endoscopic monitoring after polypectomy. What efficacy? What rhythm?]. / La surveillance endoscopique après polypectomie. Quelle efficacité? Quel rythme?

IN THE ABSENCE OF ENDOSCOPIC MONITORING: The risk of colorectal cancer is higher than in the general population in patients presenting an adenoma with a diameter of more than 1 cm, and/or comprising villous structures and/or severe dysplasia. The risk is not increased in the presence of one or two tubular adenomas measuring less than 1 cm and without severe dysplasia. It has been demonstrated that endoscopic monitoring decreases the incidence and mortality of colorectal cancers in these patients. MONITORING MODALITIES: A control colonoscopy, 3 years after polypectomy is sufficient in most cases. Colonoscopy is recommended within the 3 months following exeresis of a transformed sessile adenoma, in order to check that the polypectomy was complete. A control colonoscopy can be performed 1 year later in the rare cases presenting more than 3 adenomas, with one measuring more than 1 cm. When the control colonoscopy is normal, one can wait at least five years before conducting a further control.

Population-based study of factors influencing occurrence and prognosis of local recurrence after surgery for rectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Few data are available from population-based statistics on the risk of local recurrence after surgery for rectal cancer. The aims of this study were to determine factors influencing local control and to analyse treatment and prognosis of recurrences in a well defined population. METHODS: Data were obtained from the cancer registry of the Côte d'Or (France). From 1976 to 1995, 682 patients resected for cure for a rectal carcinoma were included. Recurrence rates and survival rates were calculated using actuarial methods. A relative survival analysis and Cox multivariate analysis were performed. RESULTS: During the study 135 local recurrences were registered. The 5-year cumulative local recurrence rate was 22.7 per cent. In multivariate analysis the two variables significantly associated with local recurrence risk were stage at diagnosis and the macroscopic type of growth. There was a non-significant decrease in local recurrence rate in patients treated by preoperative radiotherapy compared with that in patients treated by surgery alone. The proportion of patients re-resected for cure was 25.2 per cent, and increased from 13.0 per cent in 1976-1985 to 37.9 per cent in 1986-1995 (P = 0.001). The 5-year relative survival rate was 13.6 per cent overall and 40.6 per cent after resection for cure (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Local recurrence of rectal cancer following resection remains a substantial problem. Improvement can be expected from better care and earlier diagnosis.

Estimation of screening test (Hemoccult) sensitivity in colorectal cancer mass screening.

3 controlled cohorts of mass-screening for colorectal cancer using a biennial faecal occult blood (HemoccultII test on well-defined European populations have demonstrated a 14% to 18% reduction in specific mortality. We aimed to estimate the sensitivity (S) of this HemoccultII test and and also mean sojourn time (MST) from French colorectal mass-screening programme data. 6 biennial screening rounds were performed from 1988 to 1998 in 45 603 individuals aged 45-74 years in Saône-et-Loire (Burgundy, France). The prevalent/incidence ratio was calculated in order to obtain a direct estimate of the product S.MST. The analysis of the proportional incidence and its modelling was used to derive an indirect estimate of S and MST. The product S.MST was higher for males than females and higher for left colon than either the right colon or rectum. The analysis of the proportional incidence confirmed the result for subsites but no other significant differences were found. The sensitivity was estimated at 0.57 and the MST at 2.56 years. This study confirms that the sensitivity of the Hemoccult test is relatively low and that the relatively short sojourn time is in favour of annual screening.

[Expression of p21 WAF1/CIP1 protein in colorectal cancers: study of its relation to p53 mutation and Ki67 antigen expression]. / Expression de la protéine p21WAF1/CIP1 dans les cancers colorectaux: étude de sa relation avec les mutations du gène p53 et l'expression de la protéine p53 et de l'antigène Ki67.

Mutations of the p53 gene are the most common genetic alteration in malignant human tumors. A cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, p21WAF1/CIP1, is thought to be an important mediator of p53-induced cell cycle arrest. Although numerous studies have reported p53 expression and mutation in colorectal cancer few of them have correlated p53 expression with that of its downstream effector p21 and with the proliferation index as measured by expression of the Ki67 nuclear antigen. We studied p53, p21 and Ki67 expression by immunohistochemistry and molecular biology in 35 colorectal carcinomas. We compared these findings with each other and with clinical factors. Sixty three percent of tumors expressed p53 whereas seventy one percent expressed p21WAF1/CIP1. In adenocarcinomas, p21 staining was heterogeneous: p21-reactive cells were seen in the most differentiated areas. There was no correlation between p21WAF1/CIP1 and p53 expression, p53 mutation, Ki67 expression or clinical factors such as sex or location of the tumor. On the other hand, there was a statistical relationship between p21 expression and survival: our results indicated an association between high p21 expression and lower stages p21WAF1/CIP1 appears to be induced independently of p53 in these tumors and may be associated with differentiation rather than proliferation.

Colorectal adenocarcinoma in patients under 45 years of age: comparison with older patients in a well-defined French population.

PURPOSE: Little is known about colorectal cancer in young patients at a population level, and the behavior, characteristics, and prognosis of such tumors continue to be debated. METHODS: A population-based series of 4,643 new cases of colorectal adenocarcinomas diagnosed between 1976 and 1996 in C te d'Or, France, was used to describe time trends in incidence, predisposing conditions, location, stage, and treatment and to evaluate the prognosis of such tumors in patients under 45 years of age (n = 146). Prognosis was determined using relative survival rates and predictive factors using a multivariate relative survival model. RESULTS: Before the age of 45 years, age-standardized incidence rates were 1.9 per 100,000 in males and 1.4 per 100,000 in females. Incidence rates almost doubled from 1976 to 1982 and from 1983 to 1989 in both genders and stabilized thereafter. The frequency of predisposing conditions was significantly higher before the age of 45 years (11.7 vs. 0.4 percent; P < 0.001). TNM Stage III tumors were more frequent in younger patients, and Stage II tumors were more frequent in older patients. The postoperative mortality rate was lower in the 0-to-44 age group, 2.1 percent, compared with 8.4 percent for the 45-and-over age group (P = 0.004). Five-year relative survival rates were 51.9, 49.2, and 41.4 percent, respectively. In both overall and stage-for-stage comparisons, patients before the age of 45 years had a better survival rate than older patients. Gender and stage at diagnosis were the only independent prognostic factors of survival for young patients. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms the high frequency of predisposing conditions in young patients and that young age is not a poor prognostic factor for colorectal cancer. This underlines the importance of family screening, aggressive surveillance, and treatment in the young with known predisposing conditions.

Estimation of colorectal cancer prevalence in France.

The prevalence in France of patients with colorectal cancer was estimated using data from five population-based cancer registries. At the end of 1994, the number of cases diagnosed in France no more than 5 years before was approximately 95000, of whom 12180 had suffered metastasis and 9746 a local recurrence. This type of cancer is the most common in both men and women and these results enable the need for care or surveillance to be evaluated more accurately.

Improvement of operative mortality after curative resection for gastric cancer: population-based study.

It is not well known if the improvement in operative mortality after surgery for gastric cancer reported in hospital series can be extrapolated to the whole population. The aim of this study was to determine trends in operative mortality over a 20-year period in a nonselected community-based series of patients. A database of 648 patients with gastric cancer resected with curative intent between 1976 and 1995 in a region with a half-million population was divided into two periods: 1976-1983 and 1984-1995. Nonconditional logistic regression was performed to estimate the independent effects of the studied factors. Operative mortality was higher during the 1976-1983 period than during the 1984-1995 period (17.1% vs. 7.1%; p < 0.0001). When comparing the two study periods, operative mortality decreased dramatically from 26.2% to 10.0% in patients over age 70, from 31.8% to 7.9% after total gastrectomy, and from 30.7% to 6.3% after proximal esophagogastrectomy. Operative mortality after total gastrectomy was nearly the same as that after distal gastrectomy (7.9% vs 5.9%) during the second study period. During the first study period, operative mortality was independently associated with age at diagnosis, type of gastrectomy, and to a lesser degree stage at diagnosis; during the second study period, only age and stage at diagnosis were associated with the risk of operative mortality. This study indicates that in this well defined population operative mortality after curative resection for gastric cancer has decreased during the last 20 years. The results should encourage aggressive management of patients with gastric cancer, even in patients over 70 years of age.

Changes in the practice of adjuvant radiotherapy in resectable rectal cancer within a French well-defined population.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To assess the use of adjuvant radiotherapy in treating rectal cancers at a population level. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 1976 to 1996, the influence of the period of diagnosis, sex, age, type of surgical resection, place of surgical resection on the use of radiotherapy was studied. A non-conditional logistic regression was performed to obtain the odds radio for each studied period adjusted for the other variables. RESULTS: The use of adjuvant radiotherapy increased over time from 14.3% in 1976-1978 to 61.7% in 1994-1996 (odds ratio (OR): 28.0 for the 1994-1996 period compared with 1976-1978). It was also influenced by age (OR: 0.26 for patients >74 years compared with those <65 years), type of resection (OR: 3.42 for abdominoperineal resection compared with anterior resection) and place of surgery (OR: 0.39 for non-university hospitals compared with university hospitals). The nature of adjuvant radiotherapy altered over time: most adjuvant radiotherapy being done postoperatively before 1988, then preoperatively subsequently. CONCLUSIONS: Substantial changes have occurred in both the degree of use of adjuvant radiotherapy and in its timing. Some progress is still possible, in particular in older patients and in patients treated in non-university hospitals.

[Long-term prognosis of gastric cancer in the population of Côte-d'Or]. / Pronostic à long terme du cancer gastrique dans la population de Côte-d'Or.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to determine long term prognostic factors of gastric cancer in a population-based series. METHODS: Out of 1 462 gastric cancers diagnosed in the Côte-d'Or area (494 000 residents) over a 20-year period (1976-1995), 649 (44.4 %) were resected for cure. Prognostic factors were determined using the actuarial method and relative survival and a multidimensional relative survival model. RESULTS: The 10-year crude survival rate was 8.7 % and the corresponding relative survival rate was 14.9 %. Age, stage and period of diagnosis were independent prognostic factors. After surgery for cure, operative mortality decreased from 18.3 % (1976-1979) to 6.6 % (1988-1991) and 10-year relative survival increased from 30.8 % to 37.2 % (NS). After resection for cure (postoperative mortality excluded), the 10-year survival rate remained stable over time. Stage at diagnosis was the main prognostic factor: the relative risk of death was more than 10 times higher at stages IIIB and IV than at stage I. Age, site and macroscopic type of growth were prognostic factors independently of stage. Prognosis did not improve over time after resection for cure. CONCLUSION: Although improving, the overall prognosis of gastric cancer remains poor. Improvement in prognosis was mainly due to decrease in operative mortality. Earlier diagnosis and effective adjuvant treatment represent two ways to improve prognosis.

Trends in incidence and management of gallbladder carcinoma: a population-based study in France.

BACKGROUND: Little is known, at a population level, about the incidence and management of gallbladder carcinoma. The objective of this study was to determine trends in incidence, treatment, stage at diagnosis, and prognosis of gallbladder carcinoma in a well defined population. METHODS: A series of 484 patients diagnosed over a 20-year period (1976-1995) in a French well defined population was used. Incidence rates were calculated by gender, age groups, and 5-year periods. Prognosis was determined using crude and relative survival rates. A multivariate relative survival analysis was performed. RESULTS: Age-standardized incidence rates were 0.8 per 100,000 inhabitants for men and 1.5 per 100,000 inhabitants for women. There were no significant time trends in incidence in both genders. The proportion of cases resected for cure increased from 18. 1% (1976-1980) to 42.4% (1991-1995) (P < 0.001) as well as the proportion of cases limited to the gallbladder wall, respectively from 15.7% to 27.8% (P < 0.001). Relative survival rates were 16.6% at 1 year and 6.2% at 5 years. Age, stage at diagnosis, and period of diagnosis significantly influenced the prognosis of gallbladder carcinoma. The 5-year relative survival rate rose from 2.7% (1976-1985) to 10.2% (1986-1995). The multivariate analysis showed that age and stage at diagnosis were independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that gallbladder carcinoma incidence is stable in France and that substantial advances in its management have been achieved, but there is evidence that further improvements are necessary to increase survival.

Prognostic factors after curative resection for gastric cancer. A population-based study.

The aim of this study was to document patterns of survival after resection for cure for gastric cancer in a well-defined population. A population-based series of 649 gastric cancers resected for cure between 1976 and 1995 in a 494000 population, was used. Resection for cure was performed in 44.4% of the diagnosed cases. This proportion increased from 36.8% (1976-1979) to 45.0% (1992-1995) (P=0.03) whilst operative mortality decreased from 18.3 to 12.7% (P=0.003). The overall crude 5-year survival rate (excluding operative mortality) was 32.6% (95% confidence interval (CI) 28.7-36. 5) and the corresponding relative survival rate was 40.9%. Prognosis did not improve during the study period. Stage at diagnosis was the most important prognostic factor, the 5-year relative survival rate being 81.2% (+/-5.9) in TNM stage IA, 76.9% (+/-8.0) in stage IB, 50. 4% (+/-4.6) in stage II, 24.4% (+/-3.7) in stage IIIA, 5.6% (+/-3.2) in stage IIIB and 5.2% (+/- 2.2) in stage IV. Stage at diagnosis, age, subsite and macroscopic type of growth were independent prognostic factors, in a multivariate relative survival model. Earlier detection or development of an effective adjuvant therapy could contribute to improvement in prognosis.

Cancer of the ampulla of Vater: results of a 20-year population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Relatively little attention has been given to the epidemiology and management of cancer of the ampulla of Vater. SETTING: A series of 111 patients with a cancer of the ampulla of Vater diagnosed over a 20-year period (1976-1995) in a well-defined French population was used to analyse its incidence, management and prognosis as well as to determine time trends. Prognosis was determined by using crude and relative survival rates. Factors predictive of survival were also identified using a relative survival model in a multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Age-standardized incidence rates were 3.8 per 1000000 inhabitants in men and 2.7 per 1000000 inhabitants in women. Incidence increased over time in men from 1.9 during the first period (1976-1980) to 5.9 during the last period (1991-1995). In women, incidence rates remained stable. A resection for cure was performed in 52 cases (48.1%). Overall, 9.9% of these cancers were classified TNM stage I and 54.1% stage IV. There was no significant variation in treatment modalities and in stage at diagnosis over the study period. The overall operative mortality rate was 7.5%. Relative survival rates were 58.9% at 1 year, 30.9% at 3 years and 20.9% at 5 years. Five-year relative survival rates varied from 72.8% in TNM stage I cancers to 6.6% in TNM stage IV cancers. Age, treatment procedure and stage at diagnosis significantly influenced the prognosis of cancer of the ampulla of Vater. In a multivariate analysis, stage at diagnosis remained the major prognostic factor (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Although its incidence is increasing in men, cancer of the ampulla of Vater remains a rare tumour in both sexes. No improvements in the management and care of patients have been achieved. Further studies are needed to enhance the understanding of this cancer.

[The characteristics of patients with hepatitis C virus antibodies followed in specialized university hospital units are different from those of patients in the general population. The Research Group of the REBOHC]. / Les caractéristiques des malades ayant des anticorps dirigés contre le virus de l'hépatite C sont différentes en service spécialisé hospitalo-universitaire et dans la population générale. Groupe de Recherche du REBOHC.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the characteristics of patients with anti-hepatitis C virus antibodies followed in a University Hospital Department of Hepatogastroenterology with those in patients who received medical care elsewhere. METHODS: Since 1994, a specialized viral hepatitis register has recorded since 1994 all new cases of anti-hepatitis C virus antibodies diagnosed in inhabitants of the French department of Côte-d'Or (493931). The factors correlated with the type of medical care in patients followed in the University Department were studied by logistical regression. RESULTS: One hundred of the 498 new patients with anti-hepatitis C virus antibodies diagnosed in the Côte-d'Or between 1994 and 1996 were followed in a University Hospital Department. Multivariate analysis showed that age (<60), contamination due to transfusion, elevated ALT levels and no excessive alcohol consumption were factors significantly correlated with follow-up at the University Department. Liver biopsy was more often performed (66%) and a treatment was more often prescribed (34%) in patients followed in a University Department of Hepatogastroenterology patients than in other patients (20.4%; P <0.0001 et 7.5%; P <0.0001 respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that patients with anti-hepatitis C virus antibodies who are followed by a specialised University Department are a selected group; these patients are more likely to be treated than others. This study emphasizes that the greatest care must be taken when extending the extension of results of hospital series to a non-selected population.

[Estimation of the incidence of digestive tract cancers by region]. / Estimation de l'incidence des cancers du tube digestif par région.

OBJECTIVES: Information about the incidence of cancer in the national territory is a necessity for decision makers in public health. The aim of this study was to estimate for the first time the incidence of digestive tract cancers in each region of France in 1992 as well as trends in incidence between 1985 and 1995. METHODS: The incidence/mortality ratio established by sex, by age group and by localization in the departments covered by a cancer registry was applied to the mortality of each region studied. The mortality data were fit by applying a log linear model. RESULTS: The highest incidence rates of esophageal cancer were found in the North, in Brittany, Normandy and Picardy. The lowest rates were found in the regions of Midi-Pyrénées, Languedoc-Roussillon, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Aquitaine and Poitou-Charentes. The incidence of this cancer decreased slightly between 1985 and 1995. Brittany and Normandy were also high risk regions for gastric cancer, while Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Midi-Pyrénées and Poitou-Charente were low risk regions. The incidence of gastric cancer also decreased more markedly than that of esophageal cancer. Colorectal cancer was more frequent in Alsace, Lorraine and in the North, it was less common in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Midi-Pyrénées and Franche-Comté. The incidence of this cancer increased little over the 10 years of the study. CONCLUSION: There are regional disparities in the incidence and trends of digestive cancer incidence. These are more marked for esophageal cancer and gastric cancer than for colorectal cancer. The data supplied are of use both in the planning of health care and in the study of the causes or the prevention of digestive cancers.

[Performance of the Hemoccult test in the screening of colorectal cancer and adenoma. Results of 5 screening campaigns in Saône-et-Loire]. / Performances du test Hemoccult dans le dépistage des cancers et des adénomes colorectaux. Résultats de cinq campagnes de dépistage en Saône-et-Loire.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this population-based study was to specify the positivity rate, the positive predictive value of Hemoccult test as well as the characteristics of the cancers and adenomas screened during the successive colorectal cancer screening campaigns. METHODS: This study focused on five colorectal cancer mass screening campaigns by Hemoccult test carried out between 1988 and 1996. The test was offered every two years to a cohort of subjects born between 1914 and 1943 and living in some districts of the Saône-et-Loire administrative area. RESULTS: The positivity rate of the test was higher in the first campaign (2.1%) than in the subsequent ones (mean 1.3%). It was also higher in males than in females and it increased with age. After a positive test, 85.4% of the subjects had a colonic exploration. The exploration rate was higher when the test was offered by general practitioners (88.0%) than when it was mailed (77.8%) (P < 0.01). Through this test, cancer was detected in 168 patients, and one adenoma or more in 414 patients. The positive predictive value was 11.4% for cancer, 17.1% for adenoma > or = 1 cm and 11.1 for adenoma < 1 cm. It was higher in males than in females and it increased with age. Depending on the campaigns, 35.9% to 47.3% of the subjects explored after a positive test had a cancer or an adenoma. The screened cancers or adenomas were more often localized in the sigmoid or the rectum. Three quarters of screened cancers were stage I or II (TNM classification). All together, 82.7% of cancers were treated with surgical resection for cure and 10.1% with endoscopic resection. CONCLUSIONS: This work confirms the feasibility of carrying out regular colorectal cancer screening campaigns, through which a few subjects can be selected for undergoing colonic explorations. These latter can detect a cancer or adenoma in 40% of cases.

[Incidence of treatment modalities for cancer of the small intestine in Burgundy (France)]. / Incidence et modalités de la prise en charge des cancers de l'intestin grêle en Bourgogne.

AIMS: To determine the epidemiological characteristics and management of cancers of the small bowel, on a population-based survey. METHODS: The registry of digestive tumors of Burgundy recorded all new cases of cancers of the small intestine in the departments of Côte d'Or and Saône et Loire (1,052,000 inhabitants). RESULTS: Two hundred and ten new cases of malignant tumors of the small intestine were recorded between 1976 and 1995 including 4 main histological types: adenocarcinomas (39.5%), carcinoids (26.2%), lymphomas (18.6%) and sarcomas (10.5%). Age-standardized incidence rates for males and females were respectively 8.8 and 5.6 per 1,000,000 inhabitants. There was evidence of lymph node invasion in 29.5% and visceral metastasis in 31.4%. Treatment was primarily surgical (90.5%), with a post-operative death rate of 17.1%. The rate of curative surgery remained constant over time, averaging 58.6%, 20% of the patients underwent chemotherapy, with a high proportion of lymphomas, often in association with surgery. The relative survival rates at 1, 3 and 5 years were 51.2, 38.3 and 32.7%, respectively. The multivariate analysis showed that survival was linked to age, and strongly to histological type and stage of diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Cancers of the small intestine are an heterogeneous group of rare tumors, often diagnosed at advanced stage. No significant improvement has been achieved in their management over the past 20 years.

Interval cancers in a community-based programme of colorectal cancer screening with faecal occult blood test.

Interval cancers represent the major limitation of screening for colorectal cancer with the faecal occult blood test. The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of interval cancers and the sensitivity of the screening programme in a well-defined French population. During five screening rounds, 398 cancers were diagnosed in those of the population having performed at least one screening test; 57.8% of them were interval cancers. The proportion of interval cancers was higher among cancers of the rectal ampulla (72.2%) than among cancers of other sites (52.9%) (P < 0.001). The proportion of TNM stage I and II were higher among screen-detected cancers (73.8%) than among interval cancers (57.4%). The overall sensitivity of the screening programme was 62.9% within 1 year, and 48.7% within 2 years. An improvement in the sensitivity of the faecal occult blood test for colorectal cancer screening is needed, without an unacceptable loss of specificity.

Evidence of improving survival of patients with rectal cancer in france: a population based study.

BACKGROUND: Over the past 20 years there have been many changes in the management of rectal cancer. Their impact on the overall population is not well known. AIMS: To determine trends in management and prognosis of rectal cancer in two French regions. SUBJECTS: 1978 patients with a rectal carcinoma diagnosed between 1978 and 1993. METHODS: Time trends in treatment, stage at diagnosis, operative mortality, and survival were studied on a four year basis. A non-conditional logistic regression was performed to obtain an odds ratio for each period adjusted for the other variables. To estimate the independent effect of the period a multivariate relative survival analysis was performed. RESULTS: Over the 16 year period resection rates increased from 66.0% to 80.1%; the increase was particularly noticeable for sphincter saving procedures (+30.6% per four years, p=0.03). The percentage of patients receiving adjuvant radiotherapy increased from 24.0% to 40.0% (p=0.02). The proportion of patients with Dukes' type A cancer increased from 17. 7% to 30.6% with a corresponding decrease in those with more advanced disease. Operative mortality decreased by 31.1% per four years (p=0.03). All these improvements have resulted in a dramatic increase in relative survival (from 35.4% for the 1978-1981 period to 57.0% for the 1985-1989 period). CONCLUSIONS: Substantial advances in the management of rectal cancer have been achieved, but there is evidence that further improvements can be made in order to increase survival.