Colorectal Cancer Network

What is Colorectal Cancer?

Colorectal cancer can be described as a form of cancer that afflicts the colon or the rectum of an individual.  Cancer that starts forming in the colon is known as colon cancer whereas the one that starts forming in the rectum is known as rectal cancer. Colorectal cancer affects the bowel region of an individual and is therefore, also referred to as bowel cancer.  Bowel cancer is often associated with a change in bowel habits and bleeding in an individual. Colorectal Cancer Causes Cancer is typically caused by an exponential increase in the number of cells, which are not required by the body. These additional cells grow up to form a mass of tissue often known as a tumor. The tumor might be harmless (benign) or cancerous (malignant). Cells from the malignant tumors often break away and spread to other parts of the body. Rectal cancer and colon cancer typically start with the formation of a polyp (an abnormal growth) in the inner lining of the rectum or the colon.  A majority of these … [Read More...]