Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer is a disease characterized by the development of cancer cells in the tissue of the colon or the rectum; it is another name for colon or rectal cancer. Risk factors for this form of cancer include being 50 years of age or older, smoking, and having a family history of colon or rectal cancer. Symptoms of colorectal cancer include things such as blood in the stool and unexplained weight loss; however, these possible signs of colon or rectal cancer may be caused by other conditions. Treatment options for this type of cancer include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or a combination of treatments.

 

An Overview of Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer is a disease in which cancerous cells originate in the tissue of the colon or rectum. Cancer that begins in the colon is called colon cancer, and cancer that begins in the rectum is called rectal cancer; colorectal cancer is another name for these forms of cancer.
 
Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancer in the United States. In recent years, the number of people diagnosed with colorectal cancer has stayed about the same, but the number of people who die from colorectal cancer has decreased. Colorectal cancer is found more often in men than in women.
 

Risk Factors for Colorectal Cancer

Anything that increases a person's chance of getting a disease is called a risk factor. Risk factors for colorectal cancer include the following:
 
  • Being 50 years of age or older
     
  • Having a personal history of any of the following:

 

 

  • Having a parent, brother, sister, or child with colorectal cancer or polyps
     
  • Having certain hereditary conditions, such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) and hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (also known as HNPCC or Lynch Syndrome)
     
  • Certain diets (such as diets that are high in fat and low in fiber)

 

  • Smoking.
     

Symptoms of Colorectal Cancer

There are a number of possible symptoms of colorectal cancer, such as blood in the stool or unexplained weight loss. However, other conditions may cause the same symptoms.
 
(Click Colorectal Cancer Symptoms to learn about specific signs and symptoms of colorectal cancer.)
 

Colorectal Cancer: Diagnosis

To make a colorectal cancer diagnosis, your doctor may perform one or more tests. Some of these are the same tests used for colorectal cancer screening. They can include:
 

Staging Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer stages are based on whether the tumor has invaded nearby tissues, whether the cancer has spread and, if so, to what parts of the body. Knowing the stage of colorectal cancer is important in planning treatment.
 
The different colorectal cancer stages are:
 
  • Stage 0
  • Stage I
  • Stage II
  • Stage III
  • Stage IV
  • Recurrent colorectal cancer.
     

Treating Colorectal Cancer

People with colorectal cancer have many treatment options available to them. These colorectal cancer treatment options include:
 
  • Surgery
  • Radiation therapy
  • Chemotherapy.
     
Many people receive more than one type of treatment for colorectal cancer, and the choice of treatment depends mainly on the type and stage of colorectal cancer. Your doctor can describe your colorectal cancer treatment choices and the expected results.
 
Colon cancer is sometimes treated differently than rectal cancer. Thus, the treatments for colon and rectal cancer are described separately and in more detail in the eMedTV articles:
 
You can also learn about the different treatment options based on the stage of the cancer by going to:
 

Colorectal Cancer: Prognosis

The colorectal cancer prognosis (chance of recovery) depends on the following:
 
  • The stage of the cancer (whether it affects the inner lining of the rectum or colon only, involves the whole colon or rectum, or has spread to other places in the body)
  • The patient's general health
  • Whether the cancer has just been diagnosed or has recurred (come back).
     
For more specifics on colon or rectal cancer, visit the following articles:
 
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD