Curative and palliative surgery in advanced carcinoma of the large bowel.

Carcinoma of the large bowel is the second commonest killing cancer in the United Kingdom and accounts for some 14,000 deaths annually; probably, therefore, most clinicians will see many examples of patients at an advanced and often apparently hopeless stage of this disease. Many such cases are unfortunately, indeed beyond any help, and others may obtain some relief from cytotoxic therapy or radiotherapy; but there is a third category where worth-while palliative surgery can be carried out or even "curative" resection performed. This third category is considered here.