[Causes of late diagnosis of large intestinal cancer]

A study of 905 cases of suspected cancer of the large bowel has revealed that early diagnosis of the disease is chiefly due to the peculiarities of the clinical course (absence of pathognomonic symptoms at early stages), ignorance of major symptoms of large bowel cancer on the part of the population and failure to use modern highly effective endoscopic procedures during examinations run at district polyclinics.