Abstract
Cancers of the colon and rectum are the second leading cause of cancer death. Fifty percent of the colorectal cancer occurs in either the lower (sigmoid) colon or the rectum and should be easy to detect at an early stage. The majority of the colon cancers are not inherited, but rather are considered sporadic, having developed from an accumulation of mutations throughout the course of a lifetime. The epidemiological risk factors for cancers, other than genetic risk factors, include dietary components, such as the amount of fat and fiber in the diet, intake of calcium, vitamins of the antioxidant class, NSAIDS such as aspirin and specific inhibitors of cyclo-oxygenase. The risk of colon cancer increases with age, the history of previous polyps or cancer, family history of cancer, history of long standing inflammatory bowel disease including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Colonoscopy plays an important role in the medical care of patients with colorectal cancer. It is generally used for both the diagnosis of different stages of colorectal cancer and the treatment of early colorectal cancers and its precursors.
Highlights
Epidemiology and Incidence Rates3-6Colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence and mortality rates vary markedly around the world
Colon cancer is the most common type of gastrointestinal cancer which can be derived from either inherited or somatic genetic alterations that develop over the course of a lifetime
Colon cancer stems from colon polyps that turn cancerous, and individuals who develop polyps are at the highest risk of colon cancer
Summary
Colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence and mortality rates vary markedly around the world. CRC is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in males and the second in females, with over 1.2 million new cases and 608,700 deaths estimated to have occurred in 2008. Colorectal cancer incidences and the mortality rates are highest in African American men and women. The colorectal cancer incidence rates by race, ethnicity and gender is illustrate in fig.[1]. Hospital based and population based data show that the incidence rates for rectal cancer is higher than colon cancer in all parts of India. The incidence rates of rectal cancer are disproportionately higher in rural India. Worrisome is the finding that the incidence rates of CRC in Indian immigrants to the United Kingdom and USA are much higher, suggesting that life styles and dietary habits are important in the causation of the CRC
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