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Article: Colorectal Cancer
- Article from:
- UXL Complete Health Resource
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 The Gale Group, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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COLORECTAL CANCER
DEFINITION
Colorectal (pronounced KO-lo-REK-tul) cancer is cancer of the colon or rectum. The colon is the lowest portion of the large intestine and is the last part of the digestive system through which food passes. The rectum is the final section of the colon, through which solid wastes are eliminated from the body.
DESCRIPTION
Colorectal cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer. It ranks third in frequency behind lung and prostate cancer (see lung cancer and prostate cancer entries) in men in the United States. It is also third in frequency behind lung and breast cancer (see breast cancer entry) in women. Colorectal cancer accounts for about 10 percent of ...