Colorectal cancer in New Zealand: a Wellington study

A retrospective study of three hundred patients with colorectal cancer seen during a five-year period at Wellington Hospital is presented. The age incidence, anatomical distribution, tumour stage and incidence of intestinal obstruction differ from those reported in most other series. There is no correlation between delay in presentation and Dukes stage. It is suggested that colorectal cancer is a more aggressive disease in New Zealand than it is elsewhere in the world. The dangers of translating disease satistics from one country to another are emphasized.