ABSTRACT

Colorectal cancer is a significant public health problem in Western society. Carcinoma arising in the colon or the rectum represents the third leading cause of death from cancer in men and women. It is the third most common malignancy in men after prostate and lung cancers and is second only to breast cancer in American women. The natural history and treatment algorithms for rectal cancer are substantially different from those for colon cancer. For these reasons, these cancers are presented and reported separately.