While some may know March is colorectal cancer awareness month, many may not know the disease is the third most common cancer in both genders and a top performer in cancer-related deaths. And while colorectal cancer is still a disease process of the aging population, recent literature has uncovered new trends giving researchers a new field to investigate and a window to apply this information to clinical practice and improve survival. The current risk of developing colorectal cancer is about 1 in 21 with a slightly higher risk in men than in women.
Colorectal cancer diagnoses rise in younger people