The Statistics to Know When it Comes to Colon Cancer
Do you know the facts when it comes to colon cancer? As the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States, we're here to help shine a light on important statistics that everyone should know.
The American Cancer Society estimates that this year 95,520 people will be diagnosed with colon cancer, 39,910 will be diagnosed with rectal cancer, and 50,260 will die from this disease.
On average, the lifetime risk of developing colon cancer is the same for men and women, about 4.5%, however, this varies widely according to individual risk factors.
With regular screening, colon cancer can be found early, when treatment is most effective.
The colon cancer survival rate is on the rise, due in part to increased awareness and screening.
The median age at diagnosis for colon cancer is 68 in men and 72 in women; for rectal cancer it is 63 years of age in both men and women. However, more and more young people are being diagnosed.
Your family history, ethnicity and race can put you at a higher risk for colon cancer.
People with a parent, sibling, or child who has colon cancer are between two and three times more likely to develop the cancer than those without a family history.