In comparison with the results of Dukes the percentage of stage Dukes A of colorectal carcinomas could be increased from 15% to about 27%, whereas the percentage of stage Dukes C decreased from 51 to 40% in some international medical centers during the seventies of this century. Our results in Styria are comparable. However, there was no further progress in the early diagnosis of colorectal carcinomas in Styria from 1984 to 1986 (42% of Dukes C stage cases) as compared with 1974 to 1979 (41% of Dukes C stage cases). The percentage of endoscopically removed tumors increased from 3% (1974 bis 1979) to 9% (1984 to 1986) of all curatively treated carcinomas. Because of the fact that the endoscopically removed tumors (stage pT1pNx) could not be classified according to Dukes, the percentage of Dukes stage A decreased from 30% (1974 to 1979) to 24% (1984 to 1986). But the small numbers of endoscopically removed tumors did not significantly influence the percentage of Dukes C stages. There was only partial success in the predominantly rural areas in which the percentage of Dukes C stages decreased from 47% (1974 to 1979) to 39% (1984 to 1986). 39% Dukes stage C in rural areas correspond to the percentage of the predominantly municipal areas (40%). This progress can be explained by the availability of colonoscopy to all hospitals in 1984 to 1986, which was not the case previously.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)