Cancer of the colon or rectum is generally referred to as one disease—colorectal cancer. Treatment for both diseases, however, is different. Colon cancer is also nearly three times more common than rectal cancer.
According to American Cancer Society estimates, colorectal cancer accounted for 11 percent of all new cancer diagnoses and 10 percent of all cancer deaths in 2006. It is the third most common cancer in men and women. Although more than 148,000 new cases of colorectal cancers are diagnosed each year, the majority of patients are cured. In fact, cure rates for colorectal cancers have been increasing for the past decade. The American Cancer Society attributes this trending to reduced incidence rates, early detection and improved treatments.