The three sections of the colon — ascending, transverse and descending (also called sigmoid colon) — and rectum are part of the body's gastrointestinal system that digests, processes and eliminates food, together forming a muscular tube more than 5 feet long. Most colon cancers begin in the sigmoid colon just above the rectum.
Colon cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Approximately 55,000 Americans will die as a result of colon cancer in 2008.
Fortunately colon cancer is both preventable and highly treatable when detected early. Because people may be asymptomatic for many years — precancerous lesions or polyps may take 10 years to transform from benign to malignant — screening and early detection are keys to survival. More than 90 percent of patients with early stage colon cancer survive more than five years.
Very early colon cancer that develops within a polyp often can be cured by removing the polyp during a colonoscopy, a simple outpatient screening procedure. More-advanced tumors usually require surgical removal, which in many cases is followed by chemotherapy.
source : endcoloncancernow.org
