A retrospective 10-year review of all (311) new cases of colorectal cancer at a community hospital serving a multiethnic urban population was carried out in order to study characteristics of the disease other than incidence and mortality rates. There was a striking similarity despite ethnic differences in most characteristics. The only differences between ethnic groups seen were anatomic distribution of cancer in the colon (statistically significant) and male-to-female ratio of colon cancer (apparent but not statistically significant). Characteristics are classified into three types: (1) Not influenced by ethnicity or by environment: Dukes' stage at presentation, colon-to-rectum ratio, histology, length of hospital stay, survival; (2) Possibly influenced by environment: mean age, male-to-female ratio, presence of synchronous polyps, duration of symptoms; (3) Influenced by ethnicity: anatomic distribution of cancer in the colon.
