1. INTRODUCTION Colon and rectum cancers (CRC) accounted for about 1 million new cases in 2002 (9.4 % of the world total) with about 529,000 deaths and 2.8 million alive with CRC diagnosed within 5 years of diagnosis [Parkin DM et al, 2005]. Recent estimates indicate that in 2004 CRC among the most common incident form of cancer in the Europe was in the second position with more than 380,000 new cases (13.2% of total). CRC was also one of two most common causes of cancer deaths in Europe (203,700 per year) [Boyle P et al, 2005]. A favourable pattern in CRC mortality for both genders was observed in most of western European countries from the 1990s onwards, but CRC mortality rates were still in the upward direction in some eastern European countries [Fernandez E et al, 2005]. For patients diagnosed with CRC during the early 1990s, the EUROCARE study showed that differences in stage at diagnosis were a key explanation for differences in survival between western European countries, and differences in therapy contributed to survival differences between eastern and western European countries [Gatta G et al, 2000]. The number of new cases of CRC in Lithuania is increasing every year. According to the data of Lithuanian Cancer Registry, there were diagnosed 1442 new colorectal cancer cases and 973 deaths in 2004 in Lithuania [The main results of cancer control in Lithuania. Transitional report 2004. Lithuanian Cancer Registry]. CRC is in the third position according new cancer... [to full text]