Through a retrospective study of 74 cancer of rectum the autors determine the epidemiology, the anatomic appearance and discuss the treatment, the prognostic. The mean age of patients was 48 years and the Duke's staging found: 16 stages B, 46 stages C and 12 stages D. The pathological anatomy showed: 58 adenocarcinoma, 9 colloïdal adenocarcinoma, 4 epidermoïdal carcinoma, 2 lymphosarcoma, 1 anaplasic adenocarcinoma. The operability rate was 66.2%, the resectability was 40.8% and the sphincteral preserving was 8.1%. The radiotherapy preceded the surgery in 6 cases and associated the chemotherapy. The chemotherapy preceded the surgery thein 14 cases and succeeded in 2 cases. The mortality was 24.4% and the recidivation 35%. The global survival 5 years was 32%. The prognostic could better by an earlier diagnostic and a multidisciplinary treatment.