Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in both men and women in the United States and the third leading cause of cancer deaths.1 In 2009, more than 146,000 people will be diagnosed and nearly 50,000 individuals will die from the disease in the United States.1

Colorectal cancer is the uncontrolled growth of cancerous cells originating in either the colon or the rectum. While the specific cause is unknown, the most common type, adenocarcinoma, begins in the lining of the colon or rectum, and accounts for approximately 95 percent of tumors.2 Adenocarcinomas are preceded by colorectal polyps (adenomas).2

Risk Factors and Symptoms

* Age — more than 90 percent of colorectal cancers occur in people age 50 and older.1
* Gender — colorectal cancer strikes men and women equally.1
* Risk factors — colorectal polyps or chronic inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis), family history of colorectal cancer, obesity, diabetes and smoking.1
* Symptoms — changes in bowel habits (diarrhea and/or constipation), constant need to evacuate the bowel, blood in the stool, and cramping and/or steady abdominal/ stomach pain3

Prognosis and Survival

* More than 90 percent of individuals diagnosed with early-stage colorectal cancer that has not spread (metastasized) beyond the colon or the rectum survive five years; many live much longer.4
* Sixty-eight percent of people whose colorectal cancer spreads to nearby lymph nodes or organs will survive five years.1
* If colorectal cancer spreads to distant organs, such as the lungs or the liver, 5-year survival declines to 11 percent.1

Stage


Description


5-Year Survival Rate4

Stage I


Tumor is limited to the inner layer of the colon


93%

Stage IIA


Tumor has spread to the outer layers of the colon


85%

Stage IIB


72%

Stage IIIA


Tumor has spread to the outer layers of the colon and to nearby lymph nodes or other organs and tissues


83%

Stage IIIB


64%

Stage IIIC


44%

Stage IV


Tumor has spread to organs and lymph nodes beyond the colon


8%

Treatment

* Standard treatments include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and targeted medicines (monoclonal antibodies).5
* Depending on the stage of cancer and if it has spread to other organs, treatments may be combined or administered sequentially.5

References 1 American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts and Figures 2009. Available at http://www.cancer.org/downloads/STT/500809web.pdf. Accessed May 5, 2009.

2 American Cancer Society. Cancer Reference Information: What Is Colorectal Cancer? Available at http://www.cancer.org. Accessed February 24, 2009.

3 American Cancer Society. Cancer Reference Information: How Is Colorectal Cancer Diagnosed? Available at http://www.cancer.org. Accessed February 24, 2009.

4 American Cancer Society. Cancer Reference Information: How Is Colorectal Cancer Staged? http://www.cancer.org. Accessed March 23, 2009.

5 American Cancer Society. Cancer Reference Information: How is Colorectal Cancer Treated? Available at http://www.cancer.org. Accessed February 24, 2009.