What is colon or rectal cancer?
Colon or rectal cancer is an uncontrolled growth of cells in the colon or rectum. The growth of cells is called a tumor. The colon and rectum are 2 sections of the large intestine. The tumor disrupts blood vessels in the colon or rectum. It can cause bleeding in the early stages. In later stages it can cause a change in bowel habits and block normal bowel function. It is important to diagnose and treat the tumor as soon as possible. If not treated, the cancer can spread through the bowel wall to lymph nodes and other parts of the body. The large intestine is one of the 3 most common sites for cancer to occur. (The other 2 most common sites are the lungs and the breasts.) This type of cancer usually occurs after age 50. Another term for this type of cancer is colorectal cancer.
