Colorectal Cancer: An Overview

Colorectal cancer is a multifactorial disease. It is the third most frequently diagnosed cancer, and the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The etiology of colorectal cancer remains unclear. Although early diagnosis can significantly improve the prognosis, colorectal cancer patients often have no typical clinical manifestations, or display only non-specific signs in the early stage, resulting in a low early diagnosis rate. Multiple treatment modalities, depending on the stage of the tumor and patient characteristics, are available. These include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, molecular targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and other programs. This chapter provides an overview of colorectal cancer. Epidemiology, etiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, and prevention strategies of colorectal cancer are discussed.