Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer deaths for men and women combined. When men and women are considered separately, colorectal cancer is the third most common cause of death in each sex, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). (For men and women, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths, prostate cancer is the second leading cause for men, and breast cancer is the second leading cause for women.)
Your risk for developing colorectal cancer increases with age, but other lifestyle factors and genetics also play a role in increasing risk.
The risk for colorectal cancer increases after age 40. The risk rises sharply beginning around age 50 and continues to increase with each passing decade.
Learn more about preventing colon cancer ›
People can be given a second chance at life when the surgeon provides them with an ostomy. Symptoms of occasional spots of blood or bleeding after a bowel movement should be taken seriously. Self-diagnosing or ignoring symptoms could cause a delay in identifying a tumor or malignant process that could be well managed if identified early. Seeing your doctor, or a specialist called a gastroenterologist, who will perform the proper diagnostic procedures can make the difference between a late or early cancer diagnosis and timely treatment.
What is the colon? The colon is the part of the large intestine that goes from the small intestine to the rectum. Food enters the colon from the small intestine. The remaining nutrients and water are absorbed by the colon as the food passes through it. Then the waste is stored as stool in the rectum until it can be passed out of the body.
Learn more tips for living daily with colostomy ›
