Colorectal cancer is actually two distinct diseases: cancer of the colon and cancer of the rectum. Since the risk factors, symptoms, and tools for screening and diagnosis are similar - although treatment options differ - it is commonplace to discuss them as one entity.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common form of cancer in the United States. According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 105,000 individuals in the United States will be diagnosed with colon cancer and 42,000 with rectal cancer in 2003. Cancer of the colon is slightly more common in women; rectal cancer is more common in men. When caught early, colorectal cancer is highly treatable. Thanks to the advent of precise, widely available screening/diagnostic tools and effective treatment options, people with colorectal cancer are living longer, healthier lives with fewer treatment-related side-effects.

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Colorectal cancer is considered to be the second most preventable cancer (after lung cancer). Lifestyle modifications (see Risk Factors) and early detection can play a critical role in boosting survivorship of this common cancer.

The colon (large intestine), rectum, and anus comprise the final sections of the digestive tract. The colon receives the indigestible, liquid remains of food from the small intestine. Water is removed as the remains proceed through the colon, gradually turning into semisolid waste, and finally expelled as stool through the anus. The colon is comprised of four distinct sections: the ascending colon (right side), transverse colon, descending colon (left side), and sigmoid colon, which is directly above the rectum. Most cancers arise in the sigmoid colon. Approximately 95 percent of colorectal cancers are of the adenocarcinoma type (cancer of the cells that line the interior of the colon and rectum).

Cancer begins in the innermost layer of the intestinal lining and grows outward. As colorectal cancer advances, it moves into other tissue layers and adjacent lymph nodes. In certain individuals, cancer can also begin forming on polyps - grape-like growths on the intestinal wall that protrude into the intestinal cavity. Most colorectal cancers grow very slowly. If left untreated, however, cancer can metastasize - or spread - to the liver and other organs.

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