- Colon and Rectum are parts of the digestive system

- They form a long, muscular tube called the large intestine

- The Colon is the first 4 to 5 feet of the large intestine, and the Rectum is the last several inches

- Partly digested food enters the colon from the small intestine.

- The colon removes water and nutrients from the food and turns the rest into waste (stool).

- The waste passes from the colon into the rectum and then out of the body through the anus.

- Colorectal cancer, commonly known as bowel cancer, is a cancer from uncontrolled cell growth that starts in the colon or rectum.

- These cancers can also be referred to separately as colon cancer or rectal cancer, depending on where they start.

- Colon cancer and rectal cancer have many features in common.

- The word "colorectal" is just a shortened way of saying colon and rectal.

-Globally, colorectal cancer is the 3rd most commonly diagnosed cancer in males and the 2nd in females.

-1.2 million new cases and 6,08,700 deaths estimated to have occurred in 2008.

-The lifetime incidence of colorectal cancer in patients at average risk is about 5%, with 90% of cases occurring after age 50.

-Most colorectal cancers develop slowly over several years.

-Before a cancer develops, a growth of tissue or tumor usually begins as a non-cancerous polyp on the inner lining of the colon or rectum.

-Some polyps can change into cancer but not all do.

Several types of cancer can start in the colon or rectum.

- Adenocarcinomas

More than 95% of colorectal cancers are a type of cancer known as adenocarcinomas.

These cancers start in cells that form glands that make mucus to lubricate the inside of the colon and rectum.

When doctors talk about colorectal cancer, this is almost always what they are referring to.

Other, less common types of tumors may also start in the colon and rectum. These include:

- Carcinoid tumors

Tumors start from specialized hormone-producing cells in the intestine

- Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs)

Tumors start from specialized cells in the wall of the colon called the interstitial cells of Cajal. Some are benign (non-cancerous); others are malignant (cancerous). These tumors can be found anywhere in the digestive tract, but they are unusual in the colon.

- Lymphoma

These are cancers of immune system cells that typically start in lymph nodes, but they may also start in the colon, rectum, or other organs

- Sarcomas

These tumors can start in blood vessels as well as in muscle and connective tissue in the wall of the colon and rectum. Sarcomas of the colon or rectum are rare

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