[Practice-relevant intestinal diseases: prevention of colon carcinoma]

According to the German Statistical Office in Wiesbaden, the number of deaths caused by colorectal cancer in Germany exceeded 30,000 in 1994. Since the prognosis depends heavily on the stage at diagnosis, early recognition is crucial for the further course of the disease. A number of risk groups which would profit from screening programmes have been described for colorectal cancer. It is vitally important to identify these risk groups and to motivate them to undergo regular screening for early diagnosis of carcinoma.