In this report we will look at some common myths about colorectal cancer (CRC); describe findings from the past decade of research that have countered those myths; and comment on what the future may hold.
In 1997 approximately 131,000 Americans will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer, and about 55,000 Americans will die from the disease. In the United States CRC is second only to lung cancer as a cause of death from cancer; it is the most common cause of cancer death among nonsmokers. People in the U.S. have an approximately 6 percent lifetime probability of developing CRC, which means that without preventive action about one in every 17 Americans will be diagnosed with CRC.
Because up to 80 percent of invasive CRC may be preventable by screening and by altering lifestyle factors, the lifetime risk of CRC for Americans could someday be as low as one in 100 people.
