This work is Volume III in a series of monographs on neoplastic disease at various sites. The book is divided into 7 sections, each containing one or more chapters written by some of the most authoritative surgeons, pathologists, and research workers of Great Britain. Most of the material presented is the result of a joint effort in the study and treatment of patients in a group of teaching hospitals in London.
The first 3 sections deal with mortality studies, causes and control of rectal cancer, and pathology. As to the etiology, Dukes warns the reader to expect opinions rather than established facts; nevertheless, the discussion is of interest and includes thoughts about an ingested carcinogen in the food and also the relation of familial polyposis. The Dukes' classification and its prognostic importance is clearly presented.
The following sections are devoted to clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment. The various operations for