Colorectal cancer is cancer that develops in the tissues of the colon or rectum. Your colon and rectum are part of your digestive system:
Cancer that begins in the colon is called colon cancer, and cancer that begins in the rectum is called rectal cancer. Cancer that affects either of these parts may also be called colorectal cancer.
Colorectal cancer happens when there are changes in your genetic material (DNA). These changes are also called mutations or variants. Often, the genetic changes that lead to colorectal cancer happen during your lifetime and the exact cause is unknown. But certain genetic changes that raise your risk for colorectal cancer are inherited, meaning that you are born with them.
Besides genetics, other factors, including your lifestyle and the environment, can affect your risk of colorectal cancer.
Anyone can get colorectal cancer, but certain factors make you more likely to develop it:
Colorectal cancer may not always cause symptoms, especially at first. If you do have symptoms, they could include:
Because colorectal cancer may not cause symptoms at first, it's important to have screening tests for colorectal cancer. Screening tests look for signs of a disease before you have any symptoms. They can help find cancer early, when it may be easier to treat.
Most experts recommend that start screenings at 45 and continue until at least age 75. People over 75 and those who are at high risk should talk to their providers about how often you need screening and what type of test they should get.
The types of tests include different stool tests and procedures such as colonoscopies and flexible sigmoidoscopy. Talk with your provider about how often you need screening and what type of test you should get.
If you have symptoms that could be caused by colorectal cancer or if your screening test results are abnormal, you may need to have more tests to find out if you have cancer. Possible tests include:
Your treatment options usually depend on your age, your general health, how serious the cancer is, and which type of cancer you have.
For colon cancer, your treatment may include one or more of these options:
For rectal cancer, your treatment may include one or more of these options:
Avoiding the risk factors that you have control over may help prevent some cancers. That includes:
There are also other steps you can take to try to prevent colorectal cancer. They include:
Cancer is not just one disease but many diseases. Cancer begins in your cells, which are the building blocks of your body. Usually, your body forms new cells as needed, replacing old cells that die. Sometimes this process goes wrong. New cells grow even when you don't need them, and old cells don't die when they should. These extra cells can form a mass called a tumor.
Tumors can be benign or malignant. Benign tumors aren't cancer, while malignant ones are. Cells from malignant tumors can invade nearby tissues. They can also break away and spread to other parts of your body. The spread of cancer from one part of the body to another is called metastasis. Symptoms and treatment depend on the type of cancer and how advanced it is.
There are more than 100 different types of cancer. Cancer can start almost anywhere in your body. Most cancers are named for where they start. For example, lung cancer starts in the lung, and breast cancer starts in the breast.
Cancer may also be described by the type of cell that formed it, such as sarcoma if cancer begins in your bone and soft tissue. Carcinoma is the most common type of cancer. It is formed by epithelial cells, the cells that cover the inside and outside surfaces of your body.
Cancer is a genetic disease. That means changes in your genes cause it. Changes in your genes are also called gene variants or mutations. Genes are parts of DNA in your cells that you inherit from your parents. However, only some cancers are caused by genes passed down from your parents.
Genetic changes can occur to your genes over your lifetime that affect how your cells function. Usually, your body gets rid of damaged cells before they turn cancerous, but this ability goes down as you age. Other factors that may affect your risk of developing cancer can include:
Cancer symptoms depend on the type of cancer. For example, some of the symptoms that cancer may cause can include:
Cancer may cause various symptoms but often doesn't cause pain. Don't wait until you're having pain before seeing your health care provider. See your provider if you have symptoms that don't get better in a few weeks.
There is no single test that can diagnose cancer. The tests ordered are usually based on your symptoms. Your provider may:
To find out if you have cancer, your provider may order a biopsy. A biopsy is the procedure of removing and examining tissue, cells, or fluids from your body.
Treatment depends on the type of cancer and how advanced it is. Most treatment plans may include surgery, radiation, and/or chemotherapy. Some may involve hormone therapy, immunotherapy or other types of biological therapy, or stem cell transplantation.
It's usually not possible to know exactly why cancer develops in some people but not others. There are some things that you can't control which may increase or decrease your risk of getting cancer, such as inheriting certain genes or your age. But some lifestyle habits may increase your risk of certain types of cancer. Avoid or reduce lifestyle habits such as:
NIH: National Cancer Institute
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Cancer that begins in the colon is called colon cancer, and cancer that begins in the rectum is called rectal cancer. Cancer that affects either of these parts may also be called colorectal cancer.
Colorectal cancer happens when there are changes in your genetic material (DNA). These changes are also called mutations or variants. Often, the genetic changes that lead to colorectal cancer happen during your lifetime and the exact cause is unknown. But certain genetic changes that raise your risk for colorectal cancer are inherited, meaning that you are born with them.
Besides genetics, other factors, including your lifestyle and the environment, can affect your risk of colorectal cancer.
Anyone can get colorectal cancer, but certain factors make you more likely to develop it:
Colorectal cancer may not always cause symptoms, especially at first. If you do have symptoms, they could include:
Because colorectal cancer may not cause symptoms at first, it's important to have screening tests for colorectal cancer. Screening tests look for signs of a disease before you have any symptoms. They can help find cancer early, when it may be easier to treat.
Most experts recommend that start screenings at 45 and continue until at least age 75. People over 75 and those who are at high risk should talk to their providers about how often you need screening and what type of test they should get.
The types of tests include different stool tests and procedures such as colonoscopies and flexible sigmoidoscopy. Talk with your provider about how often you need screening and what type of test you should get.
If you have symptoms that could be caused by colorectal cancer or if your screening test results are abnormal, you may need to have more tests to find out if you have cancer. Possible tests include:
Your treatment options usually depend on your age, your general health, how serious the cancer is, and which type of cancer you have.
For colon cancer, your treatment may include one or more of these options:
For rectal cancer, your treatment may include one or more of these options:
Avoiding the risk factors that you have control over may help prevent some cancers. That includes:
There are also other steps you can take to try to prevent colorectal cancer. They include: