Multiple primary malignant tumors involving the colon and rectum: Report of ninety-four cases

Abstract

1. 1. Multiple primary malignant neoplasms are not a rarity and are probably more frequent than the reported statistics indicate. 2. 2. One malignancy apparently does not confer an immunity against another malignancy in the same individual, at least not an immunity that can be determined clinically. In fact, a person who has had one malignant neoplasm is more likely to have another than a person who never has had a malignant tumor. 3. 3. A series of 1,112 consecutive cases of cancer of the colon, rectum and anal canal in which there is an incidence of multiple primary malignancy of 7.5 per cent are presented. 4. 4. Various contributing factors are enumerated which probably influence the progressively rising reported rate of multiple primary malignant neoplasms. 5. 5. Two cases of adenocarcinoma of the sigmoid and rectum with coexisting sarcoma are added to the literature. 6. 6. Because of the frequency with which carcinoma of the female genital organs is encountered concurrently with malignancy of the rectum and colon, the authors recommend castration of female patients forty or more years of age at the time of resection.