Colorectal cancer is cancer of the colon or rectum. It's as common in women as it is in men. This year, over 136,830 people will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer and an estimated 50,310 will die of the disease. With certain types of screening, this cancer may be prevented by removing polyps (grape-like growths on the wall of the intestine) before they become cancerous. Several screening tests detect colorectal cancer early, when it can be more easily and successfully treated. 

Risk factors include:

• People age 50 and older 
• People who smoke 
• People who are overweight or obese
• People who aren't physically active 
• People who drink alcohol in excess, especially men 
• People who eat a lot of red or processed meat 
• People with personal histories of inflammatory bowel disease
• People with family histories of inherited colorectal cancer

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