Nic - It doesn't look like traditional canker to me, but you're right that the canes are probably damaged and not long for this world. As long as you have other healthy canes, I might put these out of their misery and prune them below the damage. No harm done, but it's unsightly and not likely to do the rose any particular good as they are.

I presume this is your new William Baffin? Some rose canes that are perfectly healthy will get brownish or brownish grey as they age and stiffen, but it would more often involve the whole cane not just these patches. I get a little prune happy in the spring cutting off anything brown, and it's not always bad. Still, there's no harm in pruning these back a bit.

Cynthia

Interesting! I thought for sure it was canker, but glad to hear it isn't. Regardless, I cut the cane to the crown because it was slowly spreading up & the leaves about the brown part were not looking like they should. Also the bud eye nearest the crown, under the brown, looked like a pimple - red & inflamed. It hurt to make the cut since there was a nice cluster of buds that would've looked gorgeous in about a week, but better to have lost something temporary than keep it & cause more damage!

I felt much better about it when my husband came home with "Above & Beyond," which he picked up at our local nursery today ;)

Nicole - it could well be canker for all I know - that word gets used pretty broadly for a lot of conditions. For me, it's enough to say the canes were damaged and the damage was spreading, and that's clearly enough to recommend trimming those off and sacrificing those lovely blooms. Enjoy your new baby and we'll expect "toddler" pictures in a year or so.

Cynthia