[Carcinoma of the cecum: is early diagnosis possible?]

Between 1982 and 1989, a consecutive series of 34 patients with cancer of the cecum were operated in our hospital. Overall, at 5 years the survival was 50%. We did not notice any correlation among symptom duration and survival. Patients admitted in the asymptomatic phase had the best survival rate (66.6%). Our study suggest that only neoplasm diagnosed in asymptomatic patients and treated promptly are related to a good survival rate. We, therefore, emphasize the importance and the necessity to investigate all patients with a suspected cecum cancer by means of colonoscopy.