Not including skin cancer,
colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer found
in men and women in the United States. There were over
100,000 new cases of colon cancer and over 40,000 new
cases of rectal cancer last year in the United States.
Combined, these cancers resulted in roughly 50,000
deaths.
According to the American Cancer Society, "...the
lifetime risk for developing colorectal cancer is about 1
in 19 (5.4%). This risk is slightly higher in men than in
women. A number of other factors may also affect a
person's risk."
They go on to explain, "The death rate (the number of
deaths per 100,000 people per year) from colorectal
cancer has been dropping for more than 20 years. There
are a number of likely reasons for this. One is that
polyps are being found by screening and removed before
they can develop into cancers. Screening is also allowing
more colorectal cancers to be found earlier when the
disease is easier to cure. In addition, treatment for
colorectal cancer has improved over the last several
years. As a result, there are now more than 1 million
survivors of colorectal cancer in the United
States."