Colorectal Cancer Clinical Resource Area - Disease Overview

Normal Anatomy and Physiology
The large intestine accounts for approximately 59 inches of the colon system. The large intestine is further divided into ascending, transverse, descending, and sigmoid colon. The ascending colon passes upward to the hepatic flexure where it becomes the transverse colon extending to the spleen where it becomes the descending section until reaching the rectum and ends with the anus. Epidemiology-Surgery will cure almost 50% of all diagnosed patients. The increased prevalence of preventive measures and health promotion efforts have decreased the incidence of colon cancer by an estimated 23%.

Risk Factors
More that 90% of all diagnosis is made in individuals over age 50. Women more prevalently have colon while men are more commonly diagnosed with rectal cancer. Obesity increases the risk of developing colorectal cancer. Analgesic use increases the risk of developing colon cancer. Those individuals with Crohn's disease of the bowel and ulcerative colitis have a marked increase in the individual risk of developing colo-rectal cancer.

Prevention & Screening
The 2006 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations for individuals age 50 and older as annual fecal occult blood testing, flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years, and colonoscopy every 10 years unless symptoms develop or findings of concern with any preventative measure. Individuals at high risk should initiate testing prior to age 50. There are no identified age to discontinue screening. Some experts have suggested age 80 or when comorbid conditions limits life expectancy.