Conditions | Colon and Rectal Cancer

What is Colon and Rectal Cancer?

The colon, also called the large intestine or large bowel, is part of your digestive system. It is a tube shaped organ in your abdomen that connects your small intestine to your rectum, and measures about 1.5 meters, or five feet, in length. The major function of the colon is to absorb water from the stool to change its consistency from liquid to solid.

The rectum is part of your digestive tract and is at the end of your large intestine or large bowel. It connects your large intestine to your anus and measures about 12 to 15 cm, or six inches, in length. The major function of the rectum is to act as a storage facility for stool until you are ready to pass a bowel movement.

At first, these cancers might not cause any symptoms. But as they grow, they can cause problems. Doctors can find these cancers through tests, so it is important to be screened for cancer and to talk with your family doctor or provider about how you are feeling. They can help you determine the best screening test for you.

Colon and rectal cancer is highly treatable and curable when caught early. A person’s prognosis or outcome can depend on:

• The stage of the cancer
• The location of the tumour
• Their response to treatment
• A person’s overall health

For People at Average Risk
without symptoms

As per Cancer Care Ontario guidelines, a person is at average risk if they are age 50 to 74 years old with no first-degree relative (parent, sibling or child) who has been diagnosed with colorectal cancer. If you are of average risk:

• You should get screened once every 2 years with the fecal immunochemical test (FIT)
• You may also choose to get screened with a flexible sigmoidoscopy (camera test) every 10 years instead of a FIT.

Speak to your Primary Care Provider about which test is right for you. For more information on FIT tests, see Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) Instructions | Cancer Care Ontario

For People at Increased Risk
without symptoms

Someone is at increased risk if they have a known family history of colorectal cancer. This means someone related to you that is a parent, sibling, or child with the disease. You should be screened with a Colonoscopy, starting at the age of 50 OR 10 years earlier than the age your relative was diagnosed, whichever comes first.

Someone is at increased risk if they have certain conditions. They may include:

• Inflammatory Bowel Diseases like Crohn’s or Colitis
• Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP)
• Lynch Syndrome Hereditary Nonpolyposis Colorectal Cancer (HNPCC)

For People with
active symptoms

They should speak to their Primary Care Provider who can help to arrange for a specific testing.

Stages of Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer is diagnosed as either stage 0, stage I, stage II, stage III, or stage IV. The higher the number, the more the cancer has spread. Cancer can spread to other areas in the body through nearby tissue, the blood, and the lymph system.

Staging is the process used to see if cancer has spread from the colon or rectum to other parts of the body. Cancer cells can travel to different areas of the body through the bloodstream, but one of the first places that rectal cancer spreads is to the lymph nodes around the tumour. If these lymph nodes contain cancer cells, it may indicate a higher risk of future cancer spread. This may also change the way in which your tumour is treated. It can also spread beyond the colon or rectum to other organs like the liver or lungs.