Colorectal cancer is cancer that occurs in the colon or rectum. Sometimes it is called colon cancer, for short. As the drawing shows, the colon is the large intestine or large bowel. The rectum is the passageway that connects the colon to the anus.

Colon cancer, when discovered early, is highly treatable. Even if it spreads into nearby lymph nodes, surgical treatment followed by chemotherapy is highly successful. In the most difficult cases — when the cancer has metastasized to the liver, lungs or other sites — treatment can prolong and add to the quality of life.

Colorectal cancer affects both men and women of all racial and ethnic groups, and is most often found in people aged 50 years or older. For men, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer after prostate and lung cancers. For women, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer after breast and lung cancers.

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cancer killer in the United States, but it doesn't have to be. If everybody aged 50 or older has regular screening test, as many as 80% of deaths from colorectal cancer could be prevented.

Colorectal cancer screening saves lives. Screening can find precancerous polyps—abnormal growths in the colon or rectum—so that they can be removed before turning into cancer. Screening also helps find colorectal cancer at an early stage, when treatment often leads to a cure.

Treatment

Treatment depends mainly on the location of the tumor in the colon or rectum and the stage of the disease. Treatment for colorectal cancer may involve surgery, chemotherapy, biological therapy or radiation therapy. Some people have a combination of treatments. Treatment for colon cancer is sometimes different than treatment for rectal cancer.

Screening Can Reduce Your Risk!

Early detection is vital -- over 80% of all cases of colorectal cancer can be prevented with recommended screening. Despite its high incidence, colorectal cancer is one of the most detectable and, if found early enough, most treatable forms of cancer.

If you’re 50 or older, getting a screening test for colorectal cancer could save your life. Here’s how:

Colorectal cancer usually starts from polyps in the colon or rectum. A polyp is a growth that shouldn't be there. 

• Over time, some polyps can turn into cancer.
• Screening tests can find polyps, so they can be removed before they turn into cancer.
• Screening tests can also find colorectal cancer early. When it is found early, the chance of being cured is good.

Professional guidelines emphasize the importance of a regular screening program that includes annual fecal occult blood tests (FOBT), periodic partial or full colon exams, or both. Leaders in the field have estimated that, with widespread adoption of these screening practices, as many as 30,000 lives could be saved each year.

For more information visit www.ccalliance.org, www.cancer.gov, and schedule an appointment with Dr. Ball at Cane River Surgery Center in Natchitoches, Louisiana.

Learn more about Colon Cancer Here