Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer, commonly known as bowel cancer, is a cancer caused by uncontrolled cell growth (neoplasia), in the colon, rectum, or vermiform appendix.

Colorectal cancers start in the lining of the bowel. If left untreated, it can grow into the muscle layers underneath, and then through the bowel wall. Most begin as a small growth on the bowel wall: a colorectal polyp or adenoma. These mushroom-shaped growths are usually benign, but some develop into cancer over time. Localised bowel cancer is usually diagnosed through colonoscopy.

Invasive cancers that are confined within the wall of the colon (TNM stages I and II) are often curable with surgery, For example, in England and Wales over 90% of patients diagnosed at this stage will survive the disease beyond 5 years. However, if left untreated, the cancer can spread to regional lymph nodes (stage III). In England and Wales, around 48% of patients diagnosed at this stage survive the disease beyond five years. Cancer that has spread widely around the body (stage IV) is usually not curable; approximately 7% of patients in England and Wales diagnosed at this stage survive beyond five years.

Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in the world, but it is more common in developed countries. More than half of the people who die of colorectal cancer live in a developed region of the world.

See the article taken from BBC News website regarding Bowel Cancer