Colorectal Cancer (CRC)

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer and cause of cancer-related death in the United States. CRC usually develops slowly over a period of years, beginning with a non-cancerous tissue growth or polyp that develops in the lining of the colon or rectum that can become cancerous over time.  Specific types of polyp tissue called adenomas are common and occur in about 30 – 50% of adults age 50 years and older. Although these adenomas have the potential to become cancerous, fewer than 10% actually progress to cancer. Because the progression to cancer often occurs with no detectable symptoms, regular screening for the earliest possible detection is essential — when CRC is detected early, it is highly curable. Irrespective of the good prognosis based on early detection and more than a decade of national public awareness campaigns and promotional screening efforts, about 35% of eligible Americans still remain unscreened. As a consequence, 60% of CRC cases are diagnosed when the cancer has spread regionally or to distant organs, resulting in poorer patient prognoses and outcomes.  Improving screening access, test choice and participation could enable more timely detection of CRC in earlier stages, resulting in improved patient prognoses and outcomes.

Additional CRC Resources

The following are additional sources to find out more about colorectal cancer, screening, and recommended guidelines for CRC screening.

American Cancer Society
cancer.org

American College of Physicians
acponline.org

American College of Gastroenterology
gi.org

American Gastroenterology Association
gastro.org

Centers for Disease Control
CDC.gov/vitalsigns

Colon Cancer Alliance
ccalliance.org

Fight Colorectal Cancer
fightCRC.org

National Cancer Institute
cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/detection/colorectal-screening

US Preventive Services Task Force
USpreventiveservicestaskforce.org