ABSTRACT
Background Colorectal cancer is one of the most common neoplasms in Western countries. In 2002 it ranked second for men and women.1 After a slight increase in frequency over recent years, the incidence is expected to remain stable over the coming years. Epidemiologic and experimental studies suggest that an unbalanced fatty nutrition with low dietary fibers may promote tumor growth. Two inherited syndromes, familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) and hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC), associated with colorectal cancer have been identified so far. In Germany, the mortality rate for colorectal cancer in 2000 was 29.8/100 000 for men and 19.3/100 000 for women.1
