Declining mortality rates for cancer of the rectum in the United States: 1940-1985
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 16, 2026

Robot-assisted Total Mesorectal Excision and Lateral Pelvic Lymph Node Dissection for Locally Advanced Middle-low Rectal Cancer
Published on: February 12, 2022
1Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Alabama, Birmingham 35294.
Background And Methods:
Age-standardized and age-specific mortality rates for cancer of the rectum and cancer of the colon were calculated according to race and gender for 1940-1985; age-standardized rates were calculated according to geographic region for 1950-1980.
Results:
Mortality rates for cancer of the rectum decreased among white and black people of each gender, in most age categories and all regions of the country. Concurrent with this decline, mortality rates for cancer of the colon increased among all race-gender groups except white females, among whom it decreased.
Conclusions:
The decline in mortality rates for cancer of the rectum has been largely unappreciated. When deaths occurring from 1940 to 1985 from cancer of the rectum are combined with those from cancer of the colon, mortality rates are increased. However, this combination of sites obscures the divergent trends, which suggest that these cancers have causes that are at least somewhat different.
More Related Videos
06:46Competing-Risk Nomogram for Predicting Cancer-Specific Survival in Multiple Primary Colorectal Cancer Patients after Surgery
Published on: September 27, 2024
07:13Comparison of Predictive Performance of Three Lymph Node Staging Systems in Colorectal Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma Based on Machine Learning Model
Published on: April 18, 2025
Related Concept Videos
Longitudinal Research
Cancer Prevention
Some...
Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer
RSV is a retrovirus that contains two copies of a plus-strand RNA genome. Its genome consists of four main open...
Assessment of the Rectum and Anus
Rectal Inspection
Begin by inspecting the perianal and anal areas for color, texture, rashes,...
Barrett Esophagus-I: Introduction
This constant acid exposure transforms the esophagus's pink mucosal lining (stratified squamous epithelium) into a type of lining more similar...
Cancer Survival Analysis