[Colorectal carcinoma and molecular genetics].

In the last few years, problems relating to genetic determination of colorectal carcinoma are comprehensively discussed by a number of authors. The new elaborations concerning the familial polypoid and carcinoid syndromes discovered, as well as molecular researches along this line answer a great number of questions posed in connection with substantiating the old idea about many-staged cancerigenesis. As much as 94 per cent of colorectal carcinoma cases are assigned to the sporadic cancer diagnosis category. Familial polyposis accounts for 1 per cent of all neoplasms of the colon, while the remainder 5 per cent make part of diverse familial carcinoid syndromes. Most of the data on genetic etiology of colorectal carcinoma so far elucidated are presented in a summed up fashion.