Detection of Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common gastrointestinal diseases that unfortunately tend to be without symptoms early in its course. In Western industrialized societies, colon cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer deaths and/or significant morbidity. The majority of colorectal cancers are adenocarcinomas. This cancer develops from the lining of the large intestine and rectum. Colorectal cancer grows slowly and often does not cause symptoms for quite some time. As the cancer grows, it invades the wall of the large bowel. Often nearby lymph nodes are invaded. Blood from the wall of the intestine is carried to the liver; colorectal cancer easily spreads or metastasizes to the liver soon after spreading to the lymph nodes.

Are you interested in learning more about colorectal cancer, tumor types, staging and the unique information that each imaging modality, clinical exam, or test provides to reach a diagnostic conclusion? This case study is free at the Learning Center! If you are a first-time user of the Learning Center, you will need to click on the "Register" button, which is free and obtain a password.