Colorectal Cancer
Cancer comes second to cardiovascular diseases with regard to leading causes of death in the developed world. Despite advances in screening, education and early diagnosis, the global cancer burden continues to rise. This trend is set to continue due to an increasing shift towards an aging population with a high cancer risk. With about 2.6 million new cases diagnosed in Europe and the United States each year, cancer remains an area of high unmet medical need.
Colorectal cancer (CRC), also called colon cancer or bowel cancer, is the fourth most deadly cancer among both men (after lung, stomach and liver cancer) and women (after breast, lung and stomach cancer). Worldwide, it is responsible for around 700,000 deaths per year.¹
In the early stages of the disease (without metastases), surgery alone may be curative. However, because symptoms are often vague, CRC patients tend to be diagnosed at an advanced stage of disease (with metastases).
Colorectal cancer at a glance:
- All CRCs develop in the large bowel, with the most common places for spread (metastasis) being in the liver, or in the lymph nodes near the bowel. CRC is the fourth most common malignancy worldwide, but public awareness of the symptoms (such as blood in the stool) of CRC is low – only 44 percent of people can name a symptom of CRC.
- On average, almost 90 percent of cases of CRC occur after the age of 50 years.
- Fatty diets, cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption are commonly associated with an increased risk of CRC
- Symptoms of CRC, which are often vague and may be ignored, include blood in the stools or a change in bowel habits.
- It is important to be aware of the symptoms of CRC because if it is diagnosed in the early stages, then the chances of a cure are much higher than when the cancer has spread and is at an advanced stage.
- Approximately 25 percent of patients present with metastatic disease and 50% of newly diagnosed patients will die from their disease.
Merck Serono treatment options:
¹ World Health Organization Fact Sheet No. 297 – February 2006
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The information contained in these pages is intended for general reference only. It should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease without the advice of a qualified medical professional, and does not replace medical advice or a medical examination. Cancer is a serious ailment that should be diagnosed by a specialist in that field. Before starting any treatment a physician needs to be consulted. US Residents should consult the EMD Serono, Inc. for information on products approved for sale in the United States of America. |
