Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal Cancer, malignancy of the large intestine, the lower portion of the intestinal tract, which consists of the colon and rectum. Although colon cancer can occur in any segment of the colon, it is most common in the sigmoid colon, the section closest to the rectum.
The American Cancer Society estimates that 95,000 new cases of colon cancer and 35,000 cases of rectal cancer are diagnosed annually in the United States. An estimated 47,900 people with colon cancer and 8,700 with rectal cancer die from the diseases each year. These cancers are the third most common of all cancers, as well as the third most frequent cause of cancer death in both men and women.
The risk of colorectal cancer increases significantly with age. About 90 percent of all colorectal cancers are diagnosed in people over the age of 50. A family history of colorectal cancer, the presence of polyps (abnormal but usually benign growths) in the large intestine, or inflammatory bowel disease are also risk fac...