Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal Cancer is cancer that develops in the colon (the longest part of the large intestine) and/or the rectum (the last several inches of the large intestine before the anus). In the United States, it is the fourth most common cancer in men and women. Caught early, it is often curable.

What Causes Colorectal Cancer?

Cancer occurs when a normal cell divides and multiples uncontrollably. Normally cells are regulated in their growth, maturity, division and death by the DNA present in their nucleus. With damage to the DNA the cells may become rogue and multiply uncontrollably to give rise to tumors.

Colorectal Cancer Prognosis

Colorectal Cancer Pathogenesis

Colorectal Cancer and Organ Preservation

Colorectal Cancer Management

What is Colorectal Cancer?

Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis

Microbial Dysbiosis and Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal Cancer Symptoms

Colorectal Cancer Prevention

Latest Colorectal Cancer News and Research

Gut changes linger years after polyp removal and may signal colorectal cancer risk

Researchers found that women who had undergone colorectal adenoma resection still showed gut microbiome and fecal metabolome alterations an average of about 12 years later. These persistent changes partly resembled colorectal cancer-associated patterns, suggesting that the host-microbiome axis may remain altered along the adenoma-cancer continuum.

28 May 2026

Finnish researchers use AI to accelerate colorectal cancer diagnostics

Researchers at the Faculty of Information Technology at the University of Jyväskylä have used artificial intelligence to speed up the analysis of colorectal cancer samples and predict the functioning of the cells' DNA repair mechanism.

28 May 2026

Persistent gut microbiome changes linked to sustained colorectal cancer risk

More than a decade after removal of an adenoma-a precancerous mass-from the colon, alterations to the gut microbiome and metabolites remain and may drive heightened risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), according to a new study led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

27 May 2026

New colorectal cancer screening guidelines emphasize advanced stool tests

With colorectal cancer a growing concern among younger people, the American Cancer Society has endorsed two new types of stool tests to encourage people to get screened while also recommending a limited role for new blood tests many patients find appealing.

27 May 2026

FIT intervention boosts colorectal cancer screening across racial/ethnic groups

Background: Racially and ethnically minoritized patients are underscreened for colorectal cancer, resulting in racial/ethnic disparities.

26 May 2026

RNA modifications shape gut immunity and intestinal macrophage function

A new perspective on gut immunity is highlighting the powerful role of RNA modifications in shaping how the body maintains balance in the digestive system.

24 May 2026

New discovery maps how mutant colorectal tumors adapt to KRAS inhibitors

A new preclinical study led by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Weill Cornell Medicine has uncovered genetic and cell-state adaptive mechanisms that drive resistance to KRAS inhibitors in patients with KRAS-mutant colorectal cancer.

22 May 2026

Targeting tumor-specific inflammatory process may prevent drug resistance in colon cancer

Chemotherapy drugs that target a common mutation in colorectal cancer rapidly lose efficacy in patients, leading to relapse.

21 May 2026

First-of-its-kind pregnancy hormone test reveals why female IBD patients face severe symptom flares

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which comprises the inflammatory conditions Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, affects about 1.6 million Americans, many of whom cannot be effectively treated.

21 May 2026

Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty outperforms oral semaglutide in short-term weight loss

A comparative study, presented at ESGE Days 2026, has found that endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) is associated with significantly greater short-term weight loss than oral semaglutide in adults with obesity.

15 May 2026

Researchers develop pH and redox-sensitive systems to reduce immunotherapy toxicity

Although cancer immunotherapy has transformed treatment by harnessing the immune system to eliminate tumors, only a small subset of patients benefit. Many solid tumors remain "cold," characterized by poor immune cell infiltration and resistance to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB).

15 May 2026

Researchers uncover how bacterial toxin damages colon lining cells to trigger cancer

Since a landmark 2009 study, researchers have known that a common gut bacterium, Bacteroides fragilis, drives colon tumor formation, potentially leading to colorectal cancer, by secreting a toxin that damages the lining of the colon.

8 May 2026

The importance of genetic screening for all cancer survivors

Hundreds of thousands of people diagnosed with cancer are still alive today but were never genetically tested, either because testing was not available or was not routinely offered at the time of their diagnosis. These patients are just as likely as those diagnosed today to carry a germline pathogenic variant (gPV) - a heritable genetic alteration - that increases cancer risk.

7 May 2026

Reverse ecology approach reveals hidden complexity in gut microbiome

The human gut harbors a complex ecosystem of trillions of microorganisms (the microbiome), which influences digestion, the immune system and metabolism.

7 May 2026

New immunotherapy strategy overcomes resistance in colorectal cancer treatment

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Mount Sinai Tisch Cancer Center have identified a promising new strategy to overcome resistance to immunotherapy in colorectal cancer, one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide.

6 May 2026

Pretargeted radioimmunotherapy shows promise for colorectal cancer treatment

A new pretargeted radioimmunotherapy (PRIT) technique has been shown to be safe and effective in eradicating tumors from a preclinical colorectal cancer model.

30 Apr 2026

Pathogens drive inflammation by reprogramming host cell metabolic processes

An intestinal pathogen reshapes the gut environment to fuel its own colonization and cause diseases, a multi-institutional team including researchers at Vanderbilt Health has discovered.

30 Apr 2026

Mailed DNA-based test for colorectal cancer screening

The use of mailed FIT-DNA kits in community health centers significantly increases colorectal cancer screening, though follow-up colonoscopy rates remain low.

30 Apr 2026

Newer mail-in stool tests increase colorectal cancer screening completion rates

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cause of cancer death in the United States and disproportionally impacts people who receive care in under-resourced settings.

27 Apr 2026

Rectal cancer deaths in older millennials are rising rapidly

Rectal cancer deaths among older millennials are accelerating, with growth in mortality far outpacing colon cancer, suggesting primary care doctors should fully investigate early symptoms in patients under age 45, according to a study to be presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2026.

23 Apr 2026