People with inflammatory bowel disease, such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease, are at increased risk as well. Each year more than 130,000 patients are diagnosed with colorectal cancer and nearly 57,000 a year die from this disease. Colorectal cancer is therefore the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. In addition, each year almost 22,000 Americans are diagnosed with stomach cancer and about 13,500 die of this disease annually. Approximately 28,600 Americans a year develop pancreatic cancer and almost as many die of it.
Cigarette smoking is the major risk factor for stomach and pancreatic cancers.
Twice as many smokers as nonsmokers develop one of these cancers. As with most adult cancers, the risk increases with age. Late diagnosis is responsible for the high death rates from these cancers. Regular screening for colon and rectal cancers is important since they are curable if detected early. Scientists at Fox Chase and elsewhere are working to understand the genes involved in this hereditary susceptibility.