Colorectal Cancer Staging

The process used to find out if cancer has spread within the colon/rectum or to other parts of the body is called staging. The information gathered from the staging process determines the stage of the disease. It is important to know the stage in order to plan treatment.

Basic Overview

Stage 0: This is the earliest stage possible. Cancer hasn't moved from where it started; it's still restricted to the innermost lining of the colon. Also called Carcinoma in Situ.

Stage I: Cancer has begun to spread, but is still in the inner lining.  Also called Dukes A colorectal cancer.

Stage II: Cancer has spread to other organs near the colon or rectum. It has not reached lymph nodes. Also called Dukes B colorectal cancer.

Stage III: Cancer has spread to lymph nodes, but has not been carried to distant parts of the body. Also called Dukes C colorectal cancer.

Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis

If you have screening test results that suggest cancer or you have symptoms, your doctor must find out whether they are due to cancer or some other cause. Your doctor will ask about your personal and family medical history and give you a physical exam. You may have one or more of the tests described in the Screening section.

If your physical exam and test results do not suggest cancer, your doctor may decide that no further tests are needed and no treatment is necessary. However, your doctor may recommend a schedule for checkups.

If tests show an abnormal area (such as a polyp), then a biopsy to check for cancer cells may be necessary. Often, the abnormal tissue can be removed during a colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy. A pathologist checks the tissue for cancer cells using a microscope.

Colorectal Cancer Symptoms

Colorectal Cancer  first develops with few, if any, symptoms. It is important not to wait for symptoms before talking to your doctor about getting screened. However, if symptoms are present, they may include:

• A change in your bowel habits, including diarrhea or constipation or a change in the consistency of your stool

• Feeling that your bowel does not empty completely, rectal bleeding, or finding blood (either bright red or very dark) in your stool

• Finding your stools are narrower than usual

• Persistent abdominal discomfort, such as cramps, gas, pain, or feeling full or bloated

• Losing weight with no known reason

• Weakness or fatigue

Colorectal Cancer Overview

Colorectal cancer, or colon cancer, occurs in the colon or rectum. As the graphic below shows, the colon is the large intestine or large bowel. The rectum is the passageway that connects the colon to the anus.

Colon cancer, when discovered early, is highly treatable. Even if it spreads into nearby lymph nodes, surgical treatment followed by chemotherapy is highly successful. In the most difficult cases — when the cancer has metastasized to the liver, lungs or other sites — treatment can prolong and add to one’s quality of life.

Most colon cancers develop first as colorectal polyps, which are abnormal growths inside the colon or rectum that may later become cancerous.