ICYMI - Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month 2025

In March we recognized Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month to bring more attention to advanced forms of this cancer. In case you missed it, here's a quick recap for the month!

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer and also the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States; however, survival has consistently improved over the last several decades. This is largely due to screening with routine colonoscopy, a non-invasive procedure that allows doctors to examine the inside of the colon and rectum using a flexible tube/camera called a colonoscope. A colonoscopy provides visualization of the entire colon allowing biopsies of polyps or areas of concern. A polyp, a small growth within the colon, can begin benign, but has the potential to become cancerous, leading to a colon cancer diagnosis. Routine colonoscopies are recommended every 10 years, beginning at age 45 through 75 years.

Younger Diagnosis

An increasing number of patients are being diagnosed at a younger age and with more advanced colorectal cancer, which poses a significant clinical challenge.

Chemotherapy

Systemic chemotherapy alone has limited efficacy in advanced and metastatic colorectal cancer, reserving it for palliative treatment.

Multimodal Treatment

The treatment of choice for advanced colorectal cancer is a multimodal approach, including cytoreductive surgery and systemic chemotherapy. The best survival is achieved with a complete cytoreduction and patients with a lower disease burden experience the greatest survival benefit.

CRS/HIPEC

The role of HIPEC at the time of cytoreductive surgery continues to evolve. Current evidence suggests that complete CRS/HIPEC with mitomycin-C is associated with improved abdominal disease control.

Risk Factors

1️⃣ Age: Most commonly occurs after age 50

2️⃣ Race: More common in African American, Hispanic, and Ashkenazi Jewish populations

3️⃣ Genetics: Known genetic mutations increase risk such as, Lynch syndrome and familial adenomatous polyptosis (FAP)

4️⃣ Family history of colorectal cancer or polyps

5️⃣ Certain medical conditions that cause inflammation in the colon, such as Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or Crohn’s disease

6️⃣ Low fiber & high fat diet (often referred to as a Western diet) that includes a lot of red meat

7️⃣ Type 2 diabetes

8️⃣ Smoking tobacco

9️⃣ Heavy alcohol use

Signs & Symptoms

1️⃣ Changes in bowel habits lasting more than 4 weeks, including diarrhea, constipation, and narrowing of the stool shape

2️⃣ Rectal bleeding or blood in stool

3️⃣ Abdominal pain, cramping, or gas

4️⃣ Weight loss

5️⃣ Weakness and fatigue

6️⃣ A feeling the bowel has not completely emptied

Evaluation

1️⃣ Physical exam

2️⃣ Colonoscopy and upper endoscopy

3️⃣ Imaging studies: CT scan, MRI, or PET/CT scan

4️⃣ Blood work to include tumor markers

Prognosis for colorectal cancer patients with peritoneal metastases or diagnosis of peritoneal carcinomatosis is highly dependent on the amount of peritoneal spread, or how much the cancer has spread throughout the abdominal cavity. When caught early, colorectal cancer is highly treatable. Treatment options will vary based on the location of the cancer and its stage of diagnosis. Treatment for many cases of colorectal cancer will include some form of surgical treatment to remove the tumor and any necessary additional tissues. For colorectal cancer patients with advanced disease and spread beyond the colon and into the abdominal cavity, CRS/HIPEC may be a good option.

Learn More about Colorectal Cancer

Arm yourself—and your loved ones—with the information that matters.