Salud Links Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month March 2001 was Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Regular screening exams are recommended for both men and women beginning at age 50. The American Cancer Society also has helpful information on this disease. The Colon Cancer Alliance brings the voice of survivors to the battle against colorectal cancer. D.C. For more information go to the Avon Breast Cancer web site.
Colorectal cancer is the growth of abnormal cells in the colon or rectum.
Normally, cells divide and form new cells when the body needs them. This process helps keep the body healthy. If, instead, cells divide when new cells are not needed, a mass of tissue, or growth, forms. This mass of tissue or growth is sometimes called a tumor. Colorectal cancer can start with noncancerous growths called polyps .