Colorectal cancer detection by measuring DNA from exfoliated colonocytes obtained by direct contact with rectal mucosa.

The purpose of the study was to explore the potential of direct exfoliated colonocyte collection from human rectal mucosa for colorectal cancer screening. A special device was designed for standardized collection of exfoliated cells from the surface of human rectal mucosa. Material was collected from 120 outpatients selected for colonoscopy and 36 patients with confirmed diagnosis of colorectal cancer or large polyps.

Curative resection for low rectal adenocarcinoma: abdomino-perineal vs anterior resection.

Objective: Local recurrence after abdomino-perineal excision of the rectum for tumours has been reported to occur in up to a third of patients in contrast to 4% after restorative anterior resection.

Method: Low rectal tumours were defined as tumours within 8 cm of the anal verge and were treated by either stapled low anterior resection (SLAR) or abdomino-perineal excision of the rectum (APER). One hundred and seventy-eight patients with tumours in the lower third of the rectum (30% of 591 rectal cancers) underwent surgical resection between 1980 and 2001.

Effect of faecal occult blood testing on colorectal cancer mortality in the surveillance of subjects at moderate risk of colorectal neoplasia: a case-control study.

Colonoscopy is the established method of surveillance of subjects at high risk of developing colorectal neoplasia. Its role in the surveillance of a population at moderate risk is less clear, however, as the procedure is expensive, time consuming and occasionally hazardous. The aim of this study was to estimate by case-control methods the effect of faecal occult blood (FOB) screening on colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality in a population at moderate risk of developing CRC.

Outcome after multiple colorectal tumours.

Background: Patients with primary colorectal cancers have a higher risk of development of second tumours synchronously or metachronously. This special group of patients raise a particular interest in their characteristics and outcome.

Methods: The records of 1009 patients with colorectal cancer were scrutinized.

A 10-year prospective audit of outcome of surgical treatment for colorectal carcinoma.

The outcome of 555 patients who underwent surgery under the care of a surgeon with an interest in colorectal disease was examined prospectively over a 10-year period with no exclusions. There was a 4.7 percent incidence of clinical leaks (10 percent for anterior resection) and an overall corrected 10-year survival rate after curative surgery of 58, 59 and 48 percent for right colonic, left colonic and rectal tumours respectively.