What's new in prevention and treatment Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer for both men and women in the United States. Approximately 133,500 new cases will be diagnosed during 1996. Approximately 7 percent of Americans are expected to develop colorectal cancer within their lifetimes.
Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States.
In 1996, there will be an estimated 54,900 deaths from colorectal cancer. Well-established risk factors for colorectal cancer are age and male gender. The risk of developing this cancer begins to increase after the age of 40, rises sharply between the ages of 50-55, and continues to increase with age. Men are more likely than women and African Americans are more likely than whites to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Other major risk factors include inflammatory bowel disease, familial disposition to developing colon and rectal polyps, and family history of colorectal cancer.