Screening for Cancerous and Precancerous Conditions of the Colon

Colorectal cancer (CRC) causes significant mortality and morbidity in the United States. It is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in both men and women. The lifetime risk to be diagnosed with CRC is 5.5% in men and 5.1% in women. Of the new cases 20% to 25% occur in individuals with positive family history or predisposing illness and 75% are sporadic. As shown in Table 1, the incidence and mortality are higher in African Americans. Overall, the incidence and mortality are 35% higher in men than in women.