What is it?
Colorectal cancer is a cancer that starts in the colon or the rectum. These cancers can also be named colon cancer or rectal cancer, depending on where they start. Colon cancer and rectal cancer are often grouped together because they have many features in common.
Cancer starts when cells in the body begin to grow out of control. Cells in nearly any part of the body can become cancer, and can spread to other areas of the body.
3rd most common cancer
Excluding skin cancers, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women in the United States. The American Cancer Society’s estimates for the number of colorectal cancer cases in the United States for 2026 are:
108,860 new cases of colon cancer
49,990 new cases of rectal cancer
Men vs. Women
Overall, the lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer is:
about 1 in 23 (4.3%) for men
about 1 in 25 (4.1%) for women
26th in the Nation
In 2024, Nebraska ranked 26th in the nation in prevalence of colorectal cancer screenings among adults age 45 -74.
Only 70% of Nebraskans over 45 get screened
IMPROVED RANKING FROM 33RD IN 2020
Thanks to colon cancer screening, the death rate for colon cancer has been declining and the Task Force hopes to see this continue through their educational and awareness efforts.
Our partner, the American Cancer Society, has all the facts on Colon Cancer here.
