Colorectal cancer begins in either the colon or the rectum. The colon and rectum form part of the body's digestive system, which separates nutrients and waste from food and stores the latter until it can be passed out of the body. The colon has four sections: the ascending colon, the transverse colon, the descending colon and the sigmoid colon. Cancer can start in any portion of the colon or the rectum. About 95 percent of colorectal cancers are adenocarcinomas, which are cancers of the cells lining the inside of the colon and rectum.¹

Colorectal cancer is more likely to spread or come back if it is in a later, more advanced stage when it is first discovered. Recurrent colorectal cancer is cancer that has come back, or recurred, months or years after treatment. Metastatic colorectal cancer is cancer that has spread, or metastasized, through either the bloodstream or the lymph node system, to other parts of the body, such as the liver, lung, or ovary.²

Disease Prevalence³

• Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death and the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women in the United States
• The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that in 2008 there will be more than 148,000 new cases of colorectal cancer diagnosed and nearly 50,000 deaths
• More than 60 percent of colorectal cancers have metastasized by the time they are diagnosed
• Colorectal cancers are rare in young people
• Every 3 minutes, a person in the United States will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer
• Every 10 minutes, someone dies of colorectal cancer

Risk Factors⁴

• Previous incidence of colorectal cancer
• History of intestinal polyps
• History of chronic inflammatory bowel disease
• Family history of colorectal cancer or inherited genetic mutations
• Obesity
• Following a high-fat diet
• Age (risk increases over age 50)
• Little or no physical activity
• Cigarette smoking
• Diabetes

Signs and Symptoms⁵

• Prolonged changes in bowel habits including diarrhea, constipation or narrowing of the stool
• Constant need to make a bowel movement that is not relieved by doing so
• Rectal bleeding or blood in the stool
• Cramping or steady abdominal (stomach area) pain
• Weakness and fatigue

Treatment Options³

• Surgery
• Radiation therapy (for rectal cancers)
• Chemotherapy
• Targeted therapies

Survival Rates³

• Five-year survival for early stage colorectal cancer is 90 percent
• Five-year survival once colorectal cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes or nearby organs is 68 percent
• Five-year survival once colorectal cancer has spread to distant organs (lung, liver) is 10 percent

 

¹ American Cancer Society. Cancer Reference Information. What is Colorectal Cancer? Accessed March 6, 2007.

² Web MD. Colorectal Cancer, Metastatic or Recurrent. Accessed March 6, 2007.

³ American Cancer Society. "Cancer Facts & Figures 2008." Accessed February 22, 2008.

⁴ American Cancer Society. Cancer Reference Information. Detailed Guide: Colon and Rectum Cancer. What are the Risk Factors for Colorectal Cancer? Accessed March 4, 2006.

⁵ American Cancer Society. Cancer Reference Information. Detailed Guide: Colon and Rectum Cancer. How is Colorectal Cancer Diagnosed? Accessed March 6, 2007.