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 Prevention

What is Colorectal Cancer?

Colorectal Cancer Management

Colorectal Cancer Pathogenesis

Colorectal Cancer and Organ Preservation

Colorectal Cancer Symptoms

Microbial Dysbiosis and Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis

Latest Colorectal Cancer News and Research

Gene deletion exposes hidden colon cancer cells to immunotherapy attack

A study from the University of Calgary shows that removing a single gene makes colon cancer cells a target for immunotherapy - a fundamental breakthrough.

18 Jun 2026

AGA experts highlight benefits and limits of colorectal cancer screening tests

As new colorectal cancer screening guidance draws attention to the growing number of testing options, the American Gastroenterological Association urges patients and primary care providers to understand how those options compare.

17 Jun 2026

Targeting immune cells could improve colorectal cancer treatments

Researchers at the Medical University of Vienna have described a mechanism in metastatic colorectal cancer that has received little attention to date: a key target of existing therapies, the so-called epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), is likely to affect more than just the cancer cells themselves.

17 Jun 2026

Higher BMI raises risk for 19 cancers as global review expands the obesity-cancer link

A major systematic review and meta-analysis links higher BMI to increased risk of 19 cancer types, including leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, bladder cancer, and glioma, which were not previously recognized in major consensus reports. The study also reveals regional and sex-based variation in cancer risk, with genetic evidence generally supporting many observational links while highlighting the need for more diverse global cohorts.

17 Jun 2026

Novel analysis identifies unique proliferation gene alterations in diverse cancer patients

New research to be presented today (Monday) at the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics shows that a cancer patient's genetic ancestry can have a significant effect both on how their disease progresses and their survival. In the largest study of its kind, researchers examined nearly 1,900 specific genetic changes in tumors in order to measure whether certain mutations were more common in patients with different historic geographic origins.

15 Jun 2026

FDA accepts immunotherapy drug for review in colon cancer treatment

The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology (Alliance) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted for review Genentech's supplemental Biologic License Application for their immunotherapy drug atezolizumab (Tecentriq®) for the treatment of patients with stage III colon cancer with deficient deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) mismatch repair (dMMR).

11 Jun 2026

Study identifies key protein driving colon cancer drug resistance

One of the most widely used chemotherapeutic agents for colorectal cancer is 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), a cornerstone treatment that has improved outcomes for countless patients.

9 Jun 2026

Microenvironmental CTHRC1 protein promotes colorectal cancer tumor growth

A new research paper was published in Volume 17 of Oncotarget on May 20, 2026, titled "Microenvironmental CTHRC1 has a pro-tumorigenic role in colorectal cancer."

2 Jun 2026

Mature intestinal cells regain stem cell behavior to trigger tumor growth

In a groundbreaking study, Stevens researchers show how colorectal cancers can evolve from mature intestinal cells that revert to stem cells.

1 Jun 2026

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