Colorectal cancer represents 8.3 percent of all new cancer diagnoses in the U.S. In 2016, there were an estimated 1,324,922 people in the U.S. living with colorectal cancer. It is the second-leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., accounting for 8.4 percent of all cancer deaths.
The rate of new colorectal cancer cases has been falling an average of 2.4 percent each year over the last 10 years. Death rates fell an average of 2.2 percent each year between 2007 and 2016. Depending on whether and how much the cancer has spread, colorectal cancer is most often treated with radiation, chemotherapy, or surgery.
Source: NIH National Cancer Institute, Cancer Stat Facts: Colorectal Cancer
