Incidence of digestive tract cancers in a well defined population in France.

A systematic registration of mortality and morbidity from digestive tract cancers was started in January 1976 in the French department of Cote d'Or (population 455,727). In the course of 3 years 1356 newly diagnosed cases were recorded. In males cancer of the rectum is the most common digestive tract cancer, coming before cancer of the stomach and cancer of the colon. In females cancer of the colon prevails over cancer of the rectum and cancer of the stomach. The survey allows comparison with the incidence rate of digestive cancers in other countries. Results of treatment underline the lateness of diagnosis.