It is the second most common cause of death in the U.S. after heart disease. Over 750,000 new cases of cancer are reported annually and a tremendous economic and financial burdon is suffered by its victims and their families.
Cancer is a disease which results from a malignant overgrowth, without control or purpose, of cells.
Cells are the basic building blocks of the human body, and vary in form and function depending on which type of tissue or organ of the body they derive from. Therefore, there are literally dozens of different types of cancer, and each cancer may require a different type of treatment. Approximately 160,000 Americans are diagnosed with colorectal cancer annually and almost 60,000 Americans die each year from this disease. The colon is the large bowel and is the part of the bowel where stool is formed and solidifies before elimination from the rectum . The majority of cases of colon cancer arise from cells in the mucosa or inner mucus lining of the the colon.