Colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer, also known as colon cancer, rectal cancer, or bowel cancer, is a cancer in the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine), or in the appendix. Genetic analysis shows that essentially colon and rectal tumours are genetically the same cancer.^[1] Symptoms of colorectal cancer typically include rectal bleeding and anemia which are sometimes associated with weight loss and changes in bowel habits (defecation pattern). The term bowel cancer and rectal cancer are names for the same thing, and all of them are colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer
Classification and external resources
Diagram of the lower gastrointestinal tract
ICD-10	C18.-C20./C21.
ICD-9	153.0-154.1
ICD-O:	M8140/3 (95% of cases)
OMIM	114500
DiseasesDB	2975
MedlinePlus	000262
eMedicine	med/413 med/1994 ped/3037

It is estimated that worldwide, 1.23 million new cases of colorectal cancer are clinically diagnosed and that it kills 608,000 people per year.^[2]

The US has raised awareness for the disease with campaigns including this (pictured). The flags on the National Mall represent victims of the cancer to remind Americans and other people about the disease.

Related pages

• Crohn's disease
• Appendicitis