ROENTGENOLOGIC EXAMINATION OF THE COLON USING DRAINAGE AND NEGATIVE PRESSURE: WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF NEOPLASM

Survey examinations using roentgenologic methods show little promise of revealing many gastric or colonic carcinomas in stages earlier than they are now being seen with the ordinary methods. The inability to find more early neoplasms results from the inadequate technic and the failure of most early neoplasms to produce a distinct abnormality in the pathological-physiological pattern as judged by present technics. All indications point to the fact that the surgeons can cure carcinoma if it is found before it spreads beyond the organ of its origin.1 If significant progress is to be made, the profession must strive for 85 per cent, or even 90 per cent, survival rates and not be satisfied with 10 per cent, or even 35 per cent, improvement. The problem is primarily one of increased diagnostic accuracy.Recent experimental investigation on animals suggests that for man a simple serologic test for cancer will be devised.