Colorectal cancer is among the top five types of cancer diagnosed in the U.S.In 2022, about 106,000 new cases of colon cancer, and nearly 45,000 new cases of rectal cancer, will occur nationwide, according to American Cancer Society estimates. Although older adults are more likely to develop colorectal cancer, cases are increasing among younger adults.

Surgery is the primary treatment for colorectal cancer. Fortunately, screening and early symptom recognition can lead to a successful surgery and a cure.

Colorectal Cancer  

Colorectal cancer involves tumors in the colon, rectum or both. It’s detected mainly through colonoscopy screening or when symptoms such as blood in the stool or abdominal pain develop.

Colorectal Anatomy

The colon, rectum and anus make up the large intestine. The colon receives mostly digested food from the small intestine, or small bowel, which receives partially digested food from the stomach.

“The colon is the ‘dryer,’” in the bowels, says Dr. George Chang, chair of the colon and rectal surgery in the division of surgery at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. “The small bowel absorbs all the nutrients and puts liquid stuff into the colon, which absorbs the water, and then you get solid stool.”

Colorectal Cancer Symptoms

Tell your doctor if you experience any of these symptoms that can indicate colon cancer:

• Blood in your stool.
• Rectal bleeding.
• Bowel habit changes – diarrhea or constipation – that persist.
• Changes in stool consistency.
• Abdominal cramps, gas or pain that persist.
• A sensation of incomplete bowel emptying.

You may detect blood in your stool visually or through a positive result from an at-home colon cancer screening test. It’s important to let your primary care providers know. They will ask for a stool sample to do lab tests for hidden blood, or DNA biomarkers for cancer cells, and likely recommend a colonoscopy.

In a colonoscopy exam, the colonoscope – a long, flexible tube with a tiny video camera – is inserted into the rectum, allowing a full view of your colon and rectum. Typically, you’ll have conscious sedation for the painless test, which lasts about a half-hour to an hour.

If colorectal cancer is diagnosed, doctors use imaging tests and lab results to stage your cancer. Cancer is staged by tumor size and how far it goes into the organ’s wall, whether the tumor has spread to the lymph nodes and metastasis to other parts of the body.