- One in five patients with Colorectal cancer presents with metastatic disease. The most common metastatic sites are the regional lymph nodes, liver, lungs, and peritoneum.
- It is estimated that approximately 134,490 new cases of large bowel cancer are diagnosed annually in the United States
- Although colorectal cancer mortality has been progressively declining since 1990 at a rate of approximately 3 percent per year, it still remains the third most common cause of cancer death in the United States.
- Surgery is the cornerstone of curative therapy for patients with resectable rectal adenocarcinoma. The operative procedure selected depends upon stage, size, and location.