Colorectal cancer, also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is any cancer that affects the colon and the rectum.Colorectalcancer:WhatyouneedtoknowMedicallyreviewedbyChristinaChun,MPH—WrittenbyYvetteBrazieronJanuary9,2018SymptomsTreatmentRiskfactorsCausesStagesDiagnosisPreventionColorectalcancer,alsoknownasbowelcancer,coloncancer,orrectalcancer,isanycancerthataffectsthecolonandtherectum.TheAmericanCancerSocietyestimatethatabout1in21menand1in23womenintheUnitedStateswilldevelopcolorectalcancerduringtheirlifetime.Itisthesecondleadingcauseofcancerdeathinwomen,andthethirdformen.However,duetoadvancesinscreeningtechniquesandimprovementsintreatments,thedeathratefromcolorectalcancerhasbeenfalling.Colorectalcancermaybebenign,ornon-cancerous,ormalignant.Amalignantcancercanspreadtootherpartsofthebodyanddamagethem.SymptomsShareonPinterestSymptomsofcolorectalcancerinclude:changesinbowelhabitsdiarrheaorconstipationafeelingthattheboweldoesnotemptyproperlyafterabowelmovementbloodinfecesthatmakesstoolslookblackbrightredbloodcomingfromtherectumpainandbloatingintheabdomenafeelingoffullnessintheabdomen,evenafternoteatingforawhile.fatigueortirednessunexplainedweightlossalumpintheabdomenorthebackpassagefeltbyyourdoctorunexplainedirondeficiencyinmen,orinwomenaftermenopauseMostofthesesymptomsmayalsoindicateotherpossibleconditions.Itisimportanttoseeadoctorifsymptomspersistfor4weeksormore.TreatmentTreatmentwilldependonseveralfactors,includingthesize,location,andstageofthecancer,whetherornotitisrecurrent,andthecurrentoverallstateofhealthofthepatient.Treatmentoptionsincludechemotherapy,radiotherapy,andsurgery.SurgeryforcolorectalcancerThisisthemostcommontreatment.Theaffectedmalignanttumorsandanynearbylymphnodeswillberemoved,toreducetheriskofthecancerspreading.Thebowelisusuallysewnbacktogether,butsometimestherectumisremovedcompletelyandacolostomybagisattachedfordrainage.Thecolostomybagcollectsstools.Thisisusuallyatemporarymeasure,butitmaybepermanentifitisnotpossibletojoinupthee