Cancers of the colon and rectum are among the most frequently occurring neoplasms world-wide and are even more important in Western industrialised countries. A brief review of the epidemiological situation is followed by an outline of current avenues of research. These comprise large-scale prospective cohort studies investigating the role of dietary habits in the development of cancers of the colon and rectum, intervention studies in high-risk groups to investigate the role of specific components of the diet and an. epidemiological evaluation of the efficacy of colorectal cancer screening programmes. The specific contributions of the Centre's Department of Epidemiology to these efforts are presented.
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