The Disease

Colon cancer, also known as colorectal cancer or large bowel cancer, occurs in the colon, rectum, and appendix; at first, colon cancer usually arises from the formation of polyps. These polyps usually begin as benign growths on the walls of the colon or rectum; over time, though, they may eventually turn into malignant tumors and infect other surrounding systems.

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancerous deaths and the third most common form of cancer. Though colorectal cancer is considered a "silent" form of cancer (where tumors grow with few systems over a long period of time), if it is caught and treated early the survival rates are extremely high compared to that of other cancers.