Cancer of the colon is a highly treatable and often curable disease when localized to the bowel. It is the second most frequently diagnosed malignancy in the United States as well as the second most common cause of cancer death.
Recurrence following surgery is a major problem and often is the ultimate cause of death.
The prognosis of colon cancer is clearly related to the degree of penetration of the tumor through the bowel wall and the presence or absence of nodal involvement. These two characteristics form the basis for all staging systems developed for this disease. Bowel obstruction and bowel perforation are indicators of poor prognosis. There are groups that have a high incidence of colorectal cancer. Limiting screening or early cancer detection to only these high-risk groups would miss the majority of colorectal cancers.