Prevalence and prognosis of individual clinical and pathologic variables associated with colorectal carcinoma

The frequency of various clinical and pathologic variables associated with colorectal carcinoma in 1137 consecutive patients treated at the Ellis Fischel State Cancer Hospital between 1940 and 1961 is reported. All patients were followed to death or to December 31, 1963. All clinical, pathologic and survival data were coded for transfer to IBM cards. The frequency with which each variable occurred was tabulated and the accumulative survival rate and standard deviation of the rate were calculated through the tenth post-treatment year by the life-table method for each variable. Grouping of variables for clinical staging tends to obscure the significance of individual variables and little attention is given in most staging systems as to which variables are dependent or independent of one another. This more detailed breakdown makes assessment of prognosis on the basis of individual variables possible. Arguments are presented to show that clinical staging should be based on this type of initial analysis.