CANCER OF the colon is one of the most common tumors we have. Combined with cancer of the rectum, it is the most common except for cancer of the skin, although the 1965 estimated death rate of 42,900 from these cancers is slightly lower than the death rate of 47,000 for cancer of the lung estimated for 1965 by the American Cancer Society.1Actually the incidence of cancer of the colon and rectum is higher than that for cancer of the lung due to the fact that the five-year survival rate is greater. Unfortunately, a large percentage of patients with carcinoma of the colon coming to operation are incurable, even though some colons may be resectable with the designation of palliative resection. The resectability of carcinoma of the colon varies greatly in reports encountered in the literature. Unfortunately, in some reports it is not clear whether the figures given