Colon Cancer At A Glance

  • Colorectal cancer is a malignant tumor arising from the inner wall of the large intestine.
  • Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer in males, fourth in females in the U.S.
  • Risk factors for colorectal cancer include heredity, colon polyps, and long standing ulcerative colitis.
  • Most colorectal cancers develop from polyps. Removal of colon polyps can prevent colorectal cancer.
  • Colon polyps and early cancer can have no symptoms. Therefore regular screening is important.
  • Diagnosis of colorectal cancer can be made by barium enema or by colonoscopy with biopsy confirmation of cancer tissue.
  • Treatment of colorectal cancer depends on the location, size, and extent of cancer spread, as well as the age and health of the patient.
  • Surgery is the most common treatment for colorectal cancer.

Colorectal Cancer Facts

Colorectal cancer — cancer of the colon or rectum — is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States for both men and women combined. The disease surpasses both breast and prostate cancer in mortality, second only to lung cancer in numbers of cancer deaths.

Despite the fact that it is highly preventable, approximately 147,500 new cases of colorectal cancer will be diagnosed in 2003 and 57,100 people will die from the disease. Because many people are embarrassed to talk about this disease, there are many myths about colorectal cancer that need to be refuted.

An almost equal number of men and women are diagnosed each year.

One out of 18 people in this country will develop colorectal cancer in their lifetime.

Early Detection

With regular screening, colorectal cancer can be found early, when treatment is most effective. In many cases, screening can prevent colorectal cancer by finding and removing polyps before they become cancer. And if cancer is present, earlier detection means a chance at a longer life generally, five-year survival rates for colorectal cancer are lower the further advanced the disease is at detection:

  • Over 90% of those diagnosed when the cancer is found at a local stage (confined to colon or rectum) survive more than five years.
  • Once the cancer is diagnosed at a regional stage (spread to surrounding tissue) that rate drops to 66%.
  • When the cancer has also spread to distant sites, only 8.5% of those diagnosed will reach the five year survival milestone.

Stage at Diagnosis

Unfortunately, the majority of colorectal cancers are not found early:

  • 37% of colorectal cancers are found while the cancer is found at a local stage (confined to colon or rectum).
  • 37% of colorectal cancers are found after the cancer is diagnosed at a regional stage (spread to surrounding tissue).
  • 20% of colorectal cancers are found after the disease has spread to distant organs.

Colorectal cancer and age


  • Although men and women of any age may be diagnosed with colorectal cancer, more than 9 in 10 new cases are people 50 or older.

Colorectal cancer and race

  • African Americans are 10% more likely to develop colorectal cancer than Caucasians, and they are 30% more likely to die of the disease.

This material is provided by Medical Schedule, Inc and does not cover all information and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Some of this material may have been adapted from materials provided both online and in print by other reputable medical resources.