Colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer (or bowel cancer) is cancer of the colon or rectum. The colon is the lowest portion of the large intestine and is the last part of the digestive system through which food passes. The rectum is the final section of the colon, through which solid wastes are eliminated from the body.
Nearly 40,000 cases of bowel cancer are diagnosed in the UK each year, making it the third commonest diagnosed cancer (1). Around 14,000 (1) of these cases are located in the rectum, with the rest in the colon, which is why the disease is referred to as colorectal cancer.
If bowel cancer is diagnosed at an early enough stage and treatment is received in time, the outcome can be extremely positive.
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