Beginning at age 50, have a sigmoidoscopy every three to five years. Every year, more than 150,000 people in the United States learn that they have colorectal cancer. The colon and the rectum are part of the digestive system. Cancer occurs when cells become abnormal and divide without control or order. Like all other organs of the body, the colon and rectum are made of many kinds of cells.
Tumors can develop anywhere in the colon or rectum.
Colo-rectal cancer can also spread to other parts of the body, such as the liver, lungs, brain, kidneys and bladder. Testing and early diagnosis is a key component to treating colorectal cancer. It is important be tested for colorectal cancer annually. To find the cause of symptoms, the doctor asks about the patient's personal and family medical history, completes a physical exam and may order laboratory tests. Additionally, the doctor may order a lower GI series, which includes X-rays of the colon and rectum or a colonoscopy which is an examination of the inside of the entire colon.