Symptoms, Facts & Stats

Statistics:

How common is colorectal cancer?

Excluding skin cancers, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women in the United States. The American Cancer Society’s estimates for the number of colorectal cancer cases in the United States for 2021 are:

104,270 new cases of colon cancer
45,230 new cases of rectal cancer

The rate of people being diagnosed with colon or rectal cancer each year has dropped overall since the mid-1980s, mainly because more people are getting screened and changing their lifestyle-related risk factors. From 2013 to 2017, incidence rates dropped by about 1% each year. But this downward trend is mostly in older adults and masks rising incidence among younger adults since at least the mid-1990s. From 2012 through 2016, it increased every year by 2% in people younger than 50 and 1% in people 50 to 64.

Lifetime risk of colorectal cancer

Overall, the lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer is: about 1 in 23 (4.3%) for men and 1 in 25 (4.0%) for women. A number of other factors (described in Colorectal Cancer Risk Factors) can also affect your risk for developing colorectal cancer.

Deaths from colorectal cancer

In the United States, colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men and in women, and the second most common cause of cancer deaths when men and women are combined. It's expected to cause about 52,980 deaths during 2021.

The death rate (the number of deaths per 100,000 people per year) from colorectal cancer has been dropping in both men and women for several decades. There are a number of likely reasons for this. One reason is that colorectal polyps are now being found more often by screening and removed before they can develop into cancers, or cancers are being found earlier when they are easier to treat. In addition, treatments for colorectal cancer have improved over the last few decades. As a result, there are now more than 1.5 million survivors of colorectal cancer in the United States. Although the overall death rate has continued to drop, deaths from colorectal cancer among people younger than 55 have increased 1% per year from 2008 to 2017.

Statistics related to survival among people with colorectal cancer are discussed in Survival Rates for Colorectal Cancer.

Visit the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Statistics Center for more key statistics.

Facts:

A list of facts can be scary. As you consider the information here, remember that with on-time screening and timely evaluation of symptoms, colon cancer is preventable, treatable and beatable!

About Colorectal Cancer

Colon cancer is cancer of the colon. Rectal cancer is cancer in the rectum. Together they are colorectal.
It is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death.
Colorectal cancer affects men and women equally, and people of all races and nationalities.
Half of all new colorectal cancer diagnosis are in people 66 or younger.
The 5-year relative survival rate for stage 1 and stage II colon cancer is 90%; the 5-year survival rate for patients diagnosed at stage III is 71% and stage IV is 14%.
Often, those who are diagnosed with colorectal cancer have experienced no signs or symptoms associated with the disease.

Family History

People with a parent, sibling, or offspring with colorectal cancer have 2 or 3 times the risk of developing colon cancer compared to those with no family history of the disease.
While most people diagnosed with colon cancer have no family history of the disease, those with a family history should begin screening at an earlier age.
When a relative is diagnosed at a young age or if there is more than one affected relative, the risk of developing colorectal cancer increases to three to six times that of the general population.

Colorectal Cancer in Young People

In 2020, there will be about 18,000 cases of colorectal cancer diagnosed in people under 50, the equivalent of 49 new cases per day.
One in five colorectal cancer patients are between 20 and 54 years old.
It is the 3rd leading cause of cancer death in young adults.
The risk of colorectal cancer increases with age; 90% of cases are diagnosed in individuals 50 years of age and older.
While rates of colorectal cancer have been declining among adults 50 years and older, incidence of colorectal cancer is increasing among adults under age 50.
People born after 1990 have 2 times the risk of developing colon cancer and 4 times the risk of developing rectal cancer than those born in 1950.
In 2020, there will be an estimated 49 new cases of colorectal cancer in people under 50 diagnosed a day, or 18,000 for the year.
Younger adults were more likely than older adults to be diagnosed with late-stage colon or rectal cancers because they are under the recommended screening age.

Symptoms:

Signs and symptoms of colon cancer include:

A persistent change in your bowel habits, including diarrhea or constipation or a change in the consistency of your stool
Rectal bleeding or blood in your stool
Persistent abdominal discomfort, such as cramps, gas or pain
A feeling that your bowel doesn't empty completely
Weakness or fatigue
Unexplained weight loss

Many people with colon cancer experience no symptoms in the early stages of the disease. When symptoms appear, they'll likely vary, depending on the cancer's size and location in your large intestine.

When to see a doctor

If you notice any persistent symptoms that worry you, make an appointment with your doctor.

Talk with your doctor about when to begin colon cancer screening. Guidelines generally recommend that colon cancer screenings begin around 50. Your doctor may recommend more frequent or earlier screening if you have other risk factors, such as a family history of the disease.

Causes

Doctors aren't certain what causes most colon cancers.

In general, colon cancer begins when healthy cells in the colon develop changes (mutations) in their DNA. A cell's DNA contains a set of instructions that tell a cell what to do.

Healthy cells grow and divide in an orderly way to keep your body functioning normally. But when a cell's DNA is damaged and becomes cancerous, cells continue to divide — even when new cells aren't needed. As the cells accumulate, they form a tumor.

With time, the cancer cells can grow to invade and destroy normal tissue nearby. And cancerous cells can travel to other parts of the body to form deposits there (metastasis).

Risk factors

Factors that may increase your risk of colon cancer include:

Older age. Colon cancer can be diagnosed at any age, but a majority of people with colon cancer are older than 50. The rates of colon cancer in people younger than 50 have been increasing, but doctors aren't sure why.
African-American race. African-Americans have a greater risk of colon cancer than do people of other races.
A personal history of colorectal cancer or polyps. If you've already had colon cancer or noncancerous colon polyps, you have a greater risk of colon cancer in the future.
Inflammatory intestinal conditions. Chronic inflammatory diseases of the colon, such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, can increase your risk of colon cancer.
Inherited syndromes that increase colon cancer risk. Some gene mutations passed through generations of your family can increase your risk of colon cancer significantly. Only a small percentage of colon cancers are linked to inherited genes. The most common inherited syndromes that increase colon cancer risk are familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) and Lynch syndrome, which is also known as hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC).
Family history of colon cancer. You're more likely to develop colon cancer if you have a blood relative who has had the disease. If more than one family member has colon cancer or rectal cancer, your risk is even greater.
Low-fiber, high-fat diet. Colon cancer and rectal cancer may be associated with a typical Western diet, which is low in fiber and high in fat and calories. Research in this area has had mixed results. Some studies have found an increased risk of colon cancer in people who eat diets high in red meat and processed meat.
A sedentary lifestyle. People who are inactive are more likely to develop colon cancer. Getting regular physical activity may reduce your risk of colon cancer.
Diabetes. People with diabetes or insulin resistance have an increased risk of colon cancer.
Obesity. People who are obese have an increased risk of colon cancer and an increased risk of dying of colon cancer when compared with people considered normal weight.
Smoking. People who smoke may have an increased risk of colon cancer.
Alcohol. Heavy use of alcohol increases your risk of colon cancer.
Radiation therapy for cancer. Radiation therapy directed at the abdomen to treat previous cancers increases the risk of colon cancer.