Conditions InDepth: Colorectal Cancer
Colorectal cancer is a disease in which cancer cells grow in either the colon or the rectum. The colon and rectum are parts of the body’s digestive system. They remove nutrients from food and store waste until it passes out of the body. The colon and primarily the rectum also absorb water from ingested materials. Normally, the cells in the colon and rectum divide in a regulated manner. If cells keep dividing when new cells are not needed, a mass of tissue called a tumor forms. A tumor can be benign or malignant.
Colon Cancer
A benign tumor is not cancer. It does not spread to other parts of the body. Colon polyps are most often (but not always) benign tumors. By contrast, a malignant tumor is cancer. Cancer cells divide and damage tissue around them. They can enter the bloodstream and spread to other parts of the body. Some colon polyps develop cancer in them. Some colon cancers appear to arise from the lining of the colon without a polyp. Benign colon tumors are usually colon polyps.
Colon cancer is the third most common type of cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. For 2011, the National Cancer Institute estimates that there will be 101,340 new cases of colon cancer and 39,870 new cases of rectal cancer. An estimated 49,380 people with die from colorectal cancer.
References:
Colon and rectal cancer. National Cancer Institute website. Available at: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/colon-and-rectal. Accessed July 22, 2011.
7/22/2011 DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance: Kohler BA, Ward E, McCarthy BJ, et al. Annual report to the nation on the status of cancer, 1975-2007, featuring tumors of the brain and other nervous system. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2011;103(9):714-736.
Last reviewed September 2010 by Mohei Abouzied, MD
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.