CLINICAL-FEATURES, FREQUENCY AND PROGNOSIS OF DUKES A COLORECTAL-CARCINOMA - A POPULATION-BASED INVESTIGATION

The main aim of this study was, through the data of a population-based Registry, to establish the incidence of Dukes' A lesions by year of r egistration and the main clinical features, and to assess cancer-speci fic survival. One hundred and eighteen Dukes' A colorectal tumours wer e diagnosed (in 117 patients) out of 1337 registered between 1984 and 1992 in the Health Care District of Modena, Northern Italy; 94 patient s were treated with surgery and 23 with endoscopic polypectomy. The fr equency of Dukes' A tumours ranged between 4.8% and 18% by year of reg istration. Dukes' A carcinomas were significantly more frequent in the distal colon. Only 5 patients (4%) died of their cancer, and in all p atients the tumour was localised in the rectum. Carcinomas associated with a poor prognosis did not show any of the biological variables usu ally associated with an unfavourable outcome, but, our data suggest th e possibility of incomplete removal of tumours at surgery. Copyright ( C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd