Colon cancer

Alternative names:

cancer of the intestine; colorectal cancer; intestinal cancer

Definition:

A malignancy in the intestine.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Carcinoma is the common type of cancer of the colon and rectum. Lymphoma, carcinoid, melanoma, fibrosarcoma, and other types of sarcoma are rare. There is no single cause of colon cancer. Factors associated with an increased risk of colon cancer are colorectal polyps, cancer elsewhere in the body, a family history of colon cancer, ulcerative colitis, granulomatous colitis, and immunodeficiency disorders. Dietary factors associated with colon cancer are a high-meat, high-fat, low-fiber diet. Cancer of the colon and rectum accounts for 15% of cancer deaths; only lung cancer causes more deaths as a single type of cancer. The incidence is 2 out of 1,000 people.