"Intestinal cancer" redirects here. For cancer of the small intestine, see Small intestine cancer.
Medical condition
Colorectal cancer
Other names
Colon cancer
rectal cancer
bowel cancer
Location and appearance of two example colorectal tumors
Specialty
Gastroenterology General surgery Oncology
Symptoms
Blood in stool
change in bowel movements
unintentional weight loss
vomiting
fatigue[1]
Causes
Old age
lifestyle factors and genetic disorders[2][3]
Risk factors
Diet
obesity
smoking
lack of physical activity
alcohol use[2][4]
Diagnostic method
Tissue biopsy during a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy[1]
Prevention
Screening from age of 45 to 75
Treatment
Surgery
radiation therapy
chemotherapy
targeted therapy[5]
Prognosis
Five-year survival rate 65% (US)[6]
Frequency
9.4 million (2015)[7]
Deaths
551,000 (2018)[8]
Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine).[5] Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel movements, weight loss, abdominal pain and fatigue.[9] Most colorectal cancers are due to old age and lifestyle factors, with only a small number of cases due to underlying genetic disorders.[2][3] Risk factors include diet, obesity, smoking, and lack of physical activity.[2] Dietary factors that increase the risk include red meat, processed meat, and alcohol.[2][4] Another risk factor is inflammatory bowel disease, which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.[2] Some of the inherited genetic disorders that can cause colorectal cancer include familial adenomatous polyposis and hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer; however, these represent less than 5% of cases.[2][3] It typically starts as a benign tumor, often in the form of a polyp, which over time becomes cancerous.[2]
Colorectal cancer may be diagnosed by obtaining a sample of the colon during a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy.[1] This is then followed by medical imaging to determine whether the disease has spread.[5] Screening is effective for preventing and decreasing deaths from colorectal cancer.[10] Screening, by one of a number of methods, is recommended starting from the age of 45 to 75. It was recommended starting at age 50 but it was changed to 45 due to increasing amount of colon cancers.[10][11] During colonoscopy, small polyps may be removed if found.[2] If a large polyp or tumor is found, a biopsy may be performed to check if it is cancerous. Aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs decrease the risk of pain during polyp excision.[2][12] Their general use is not recommended for this purpose, however, due to side effects.[13]
Treatments used for colorectal cancer may include some combination of surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy.[5] Cancers that are confined within the wall of the colon may be curable with surgery, while cancer that has spread widely is usually not curable, with management being directed towards improving quality of life and symptoms.[5] The five-year survival rate in the United States was around 65% in 2014.[6] The individual likelihood of survival depends on how advanced the cancer is, whether or not all the cancer can be removed with surgery, and the person's overall health.[1] Globally, colorectal cancer is the third most common type of cancer, making up about 10% of all cases.[14] In 2018, there were 1.09 million new cases and 551,000 deaths from the disease.[8] It is more common in developed countries, where more than 65% of cases are found.[2] It is less common in women than men.[2]
^ abcd"General Information About Colon Cancer". NCI. May 12, 2014. Archived from the original on July 4, 2014. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ abcdefghijklBosman FT (2014). "Chapter 5.5: Colorectal Cancer". In Stewart BW, Wild CP (eds.). World Cancer Report. the International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization. pp. 392–402. ISBN 978-92-832-0443-5.
^ abc"Colorectal Cancer Prevention (PDQ®)". National Cancer Institute. February 27, 2014. Archived from the original on July 5, 2014. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ abTheodoratou E, Timofeeva M, Li X, Meng X, Ioannidis JP (August 2017). "Nature, Nurture, and Cancer Risks: Genetic and Nutritional Contributions to Cancer". Annual Review of Nutrition (Review). 37: 293–320. doi:10.1146/annurev-nutr-071715-051004. PMC 6143166. PMID 28826375.
^ abcde"Colon Cancer Treatment (PDQ®)". NCI. May 12, 2014. Archived from the original on July 5, 2014. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ ab"SEER Stat Fact Sheets: Colon and Rectum Cancer". NCI. Archived from the original on June 24, 2014. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
^Vos T, Barber RM, Bell B, Bertozzi-Villa A, Biryukov S, Bolliger I, et al. (GBD 2015 Disease and Injury Incidence and Prevalence Collaborators) (October 2016). "Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 310 diseases and injuries, 1990–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015". Lancet. 388 (10053): 1545–1602. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31678-6. PMC 5055577. PMID 27733282.
^ abBray F, Ferlay J, Soerjomataram I, Siegel RL, Torre LA, Jemal A (November 2018). "Global cancer statistics 2018: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries". CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. 68 (6): 394–424. doi:10.3322/caac.21492. PMID 30207593. S2CID 52188256.
^"Colorectal Cancer Signs and Symptoms | Signs of Colorectal Cancer". www.cancer.org. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
^ abBibbins-Domingo K, Grossman DC, Curry SJ, Davidson KW, Epling JW, García FA, et al. (June 2016). "Screening for Colorectal Cancer: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement". JAMA. 315 (23): 2564–2575. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.5989. PMID 27304597.
^"First Colonoscopies Now Recommended at Age 45". ThedaCare. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
^Thorat MA, Cuzick J (December 2013). "Role of aspirin in cancer prevention". Current Oncology Reports. 15 (6): 533–540. doi:10.1007/s11912-013-0351-3. PMID 24114189. S2CID 40187047.
^"Routine aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the primary prevention of colorectal cancer: recommendation statement". American Family Physician. 76 (1): 109–113. July 2007. PMID 17668849. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014.
^Forman D, Ferlay J (2014). "Chapter 1.1: The global and regional burden of cancer". In Stewart BW, Wild CP (eds.). World Cancer Report. the International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization. pp. 16–53. ISBN 978-92-832-0443-5.
Colorectalcancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the...
Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectalcancer (HNPCC) is a hereditary predisposition to colon cancer. HNPCC includes (and was once synonymous with) Lynch syndrome...
types of cancer in males are lung cancer, prostate cancer, colorectalcancer, and stomach cancer. In females, the most common types are breast cancer, colorectal...
or rectum. Untreated colorectal polyps can develop into colorectal cancer. Colorectal polyps are often classified by their behaviour (i.e. benign vs. malignant)...
colorectal adenoma is a benign glandular tumor of the colon and the rectum. It is a precursor lesion of the colorectal adenocarcinoma (colon cancer)...
to enable the opportunity for biopsy or the removal of suspected colorectalcancer lesions. Colonoscopy is similar in principle to sigmoidoscopy, with...
Mouse models of colorectalcancer and intestinal cancer are experimental systems in which mice are genetically manipulated, fed a modified diet, or challenged...
cetuximab (Erbitux) therapy in colorectalcancer. As of 2008, the most reliable way to predict whether a colorectalcancer patient will respond to one of...
to determine the best method of treatment. The systems for staging colorectalcancers depend on the extent of local invasion, the degree of lymph node involvement...
Cancer of the duodenum is relatively rare compared to stomach cancer and colorectalcancer. Its histology is usually adenocarcinoma. Familial adenomatous...
cancer. Heme iron in red meat has been associated with increased colorectalcancer risk. The American Institute for Cancer Research and World Cancer Research...
sinonasal cancer, liver cancer, colorectalcancer, cancers of the gallbladder, the adrenal gland, the small intestine, and various childhood cancers. Seven...
ulcers or a malignancy (such as colorectalcancer or gastric cancer). The test does not directly detect colon cancer but is often used in clinical screening...
not recommended in the colorectalcancer screening guidelines. The DRE is inadequate as a screening tool for colorectalcancer because it examines less...
mammography (to screen for breast cancer), colorectalcancer screening, a Pap test (to check for cervical cancer), and screening for osteoporosis. Genetic...
The histopathology of colorectalcancer of the adenocarcinoma type involves analysis of tissue taken from a biopsy or surgery. A pathology report contains...
promoter methylation and field defect in sporadic colorectalcancer". Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 97 (18): 1330–8. doi:10.1093/jnci/dji275...
article lists notable people who died from or were diagnosed with colorectalcancer. Adele Roberts (born 1979), English broadcaster, radio personality...
"MGMT promoter methylation and field defect in sporadic colorectalcancer". J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 97 (18): 1330–8. doi:10.1093/jnci/dji275. PMID 16174854...
getting colorectalcancer. However, the cancers they did have were more likely to have spread to lymph nodes or distant sites than colorectalcancer in women...
PSC is associated with an increased risk of colorectalcancer and cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer). PSC is a progressive condition, and may result...
second-line metastatic colorectalcancer. It was approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in January 2005, for use in colorectalcancer. Bevacizumab has...
people to limit processed meat consumption as it increases risk of colorectalcancer. Nitrate and sodium nitrite found in processed meats can be converted...
an urgent referral for colorectalcancer investigation. "Bowel Cancer: Testing for blood in your poo using the FIT test". Cancer Research UK. 6 December...
reduced mortality from colorectalcancer for both total colorectalcancer mortality (27% reduction) and rectosigmoidal cancer mortality (37%), but this...
never pose harm to an individual. Breast cancer, prostate cancer, and colorectalcancer are examples of cancer types that are prone to overdiagnosis. The...
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