When cancer cells develop in thecolon, it is calledcolon cancer. Likewise,rectal canceris when cancer cells develop in therectum. Sometimes believed to be the same disease, there are distinct differences between the two diagnoses.
Colorectal cancerrefers to cancers of the large intestine, including colon cancer and rectal cancer. You may hear the term “colorectal cancer” used interchangeably with the terms “colon cancer” and “rectal cancer”. This article will review the differences and similarities between rectal and colon cancer.
Verywell / Jessica Olah
Similarities Between Colon and Rectal Cancer
Besides originating in the large intestine, here are characteristics that colon and rectal cancer have in common:
Differences Between Colon and Rectal Cancer
Anatomy
Colon and rectal cancers start in different parts of the large intestine. Colon cancers start in the first (and longest) part of the large intestine. Rectal cancers, on the other hand, start in the last several inches of the large intestine.
The blood supply,lymphatic drainage, and nerve supply of the colon and rectum are not the same. In addition, the rectum is close to other organs, and unlike the colon, it lacks a protective outer layer called the serosa. Therefore,metastasis(spread) of disease is more likely to occur with rectal cancer than with colon cancer.
Sex Differences
While colon cancer is fairly equal between the sexes, women are more likely to develop right-sided colon cancer, which is more aggressive than left-sided. A larger number of men than women develop rectal cancer.
Disease Recurrence
When cancer comes back after treatment and surgery, it is called diseaserecurrence. Cancer can return locally (in the area where it originated) or can be metastatic (spread to other tissues or organs).
Although recurrence rates depend on several factors, two separate studies show that local recurrence of rectal cancer varies from 7% to 21% for rectal cancer versus about 4% to 11% for colon cancer.
Colostomy
People who undergo surgery for rectal cancer have a greater chance of having a permanentcolostomy. If the tumor is low in the rectum, the anal sphincter may need to be removed, requiring a life-long colostomy.
Treatment
Colorectal Cancer Stages and Treatment Effectiveness
Summary
Colorectal cancer is a term used to describe both colon and rectal cancer. Both cancers affect the large intestine. Cancer cells that develop in the colon are called colon cancer, while cancer cells that grow in the rectum are called rectal cancer.
Although both colon and rectal cancer begin in the large intestine and share similar symptoms, the diseases are treated differently. Screening for rectal and colon cancer is essential to early detection and treatment. Tell your healthcare provider if you have blood in your stool, abdominal pain, or suffer from constipation.
As our understanding of genetics improves, scientists are finding abnormalities in genes resulting in mutations that drive cancers to grow. Considering these genetic mutations is vital for scientists and future cancer treatment. In addition, finding immunologic and biogenetic approaches that target these unique cells may allow for the disease’s control and even eradication.
Frequently Asked QuestionsMost colorectal cancers start with polyps, but some start in the lining of the large intestine.A CT scan is best for detecting colorectal cancers, but an MRI is useful in staging colorectal cancers.Noncancerous tumors, such as polyps and adenomatous polyps are commonly found in the colon and rectum. Although many benign tumors don’t cause symptoms they may need to be removed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most colorectal cancers start with polyps, but some start in the lining of the large intestine.
A CT scan is best for detecting colorectal cancers, but an MRI is useful in staging colorectal cancers.
Noncancerous tumors, such as polyps and adenomatous polyps are commonly found in the colon and rectum. Although many benign tumors don’t cause symptoms they may need to be removed.
10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kuipers EJ, Grady WM, Lieberman D, et al.Colorectal cancer.Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2015;1:15065. doi:10.1038/nrdp.2015.65Chan AT, Giovannucci EL.Primary prevention of colorectal cancer.Gastroenterology. 2010;138(6):2029–2043.e10. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2010.01.057Rawla P, Sunkara T, Barsouk A.Epidemiology of colorectal cancer: incidence, mortality, survival, and risk factors.PRZ Gastroenterol.2019;14(2):89-103. doi:10.5114/pg.2018.81072Bogaert J, Prenen H.Molecular genetics of colorectal cancer.Ann Gastroenterol. 2014;27(1):9-14.Paschke S, Jafarov S, Staib L, et al.Are colon and rectal cancer two different tumor entities? A proposal to abandon the term colorectal cancer.IJMS. 2018;19(9):2577. doi:10.3390/ijms19092577Kim SE, Paik HY, Yoon H, Lee JE, Kim N, Sung MK.Sex- and gender-specific disparities in colorectal cancer risk.World J Gastroenterol. 2015;21(17):5167–5175. doi:10.3748/wjg.v21.i17.5167Brown KGM, Koh CE.Surgical management of recurrent colon cancer.J Gastrointest Oncol. 2020;11(3):513-525. doi:10.21037/jgo-2019-ccm-09Fazeli MS, Keramati MR.Rectal cancer: a review.Med J Islam Repub Iran. 2015;29:171.Riihimäki M, Hemminki A, Sundquist J, Hemminki K.Patterns of metastasis in colon and rectal cancer.Sci Rep. 2016;6(1):29765.National Cancer Institute.Colorectal cancer treatment.
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kuipers EJ, Grady WM, Lieberman D, et al.Colorectal cancer.Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2015;1:15065. doi:10.1038/nrdp.2015.65Chan AT, Giovannucci EL.Primary prevention of colorectal cancer.Gastroenterology. 2010;138(6):2029–2043.e10. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2010.01.057Rawla P, Sunkara T, Barsouk A.Epidemiology of colorectal cancer: incidence, mortality, survival, and risk factors.PRZ Gastroenterol.2019;14(2):89-103. doi:10.5114/pg.2018.81072Bogaert J, Prenen H.Molecular genetics of colorectal cancer.Ann Gastroenterol. 2014;27(1):9-14.Paschke S, Jafarov S, Staib L, et al.Are colon and rectal cancer two different tumor entities? A proposal to abandon the term colorectal cancer.IJMS. 2018;19(9):2577. doi:10.3390/ijms19092577Kim SE, Paik HY, Yoon H, Lee JE, Kim N, Sung MK.Sex- and gender-specific disparities in colorectal cancer risk.World J Gastroenterol. 2015;21(17):5167–5175. doi:10.3748/wjg.v21.i17.5167Brown KGM, Koh CE.Surgical management of recurrent colon cancer.J Gastrointest Oncol. 2020;11(3):513-525. doi:10.21037/jgo-2019-ccm-09Fazeli MS, Keramati MR.Rectal cancer: a review.Med J Islam Repub Iran. 2015;29:171.Riihimäki M, Hemminki A, Sundquist J, Hemminki K.Patterns of metastasis in colon and rectal cancer.Sci Rep. 2016;6(1):29765.National Cancer Institute.Colorectal cancer treatment.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Kuipers EJ, Grady WM, Lieberman D, et al.Colorectal cancer.Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2015;1:15065. doi:10.1038/nrdp.2015.65Chan AT, Giovannucci EL.Primary prevention of colorectal cancer.Gastroenterology. 2010;138(6):2029–2043.e10. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2010.01.057Rawla P, Sunkara T, Barsouk A.Epidemiology of colorectal cancer: incidence, mortality, survival, and risk factors.PRZ Gastroenterol.2019;14(2):89-103. doi:10.5114/pg.2018.81072Bogaert J, Prenen H.Molecular genetics of colorectal cancer.Ann Gastroenterol. 2014;27(1):9-14.Paschke S, Jafarov S, Staib L, et al.Are colon and rectal cancer two different tumor entities? A proposal to abandon the term colorectal cancer.IJMS. 2018;19(9):2577. doi:10.3390/ijms19092577Kim SE, Paik HY, Yoon H, Lee JE, Kim N, Sung MK.Sex- and gender-specific disparities in colorectal cancer risk.World J Gastroenterol. 2015;21(17):5167–5175. doi:10.3748/wjg.v21.i17.5167Brown KGM, Koh CE.Surgical management of recurrent colon cancer.J Gastrointest Oncol. 2020;11(3):513-525. doi:10.21037/jgo-2019-ccm-09Fazeli MS, Keramati MR.Rectal cancer: a review.Med J Islam Repub Iran. 2015;29:171.Riihimäki M, Hemminki A, Sundquist J, Hemminki K.Patterns of metastasis in colon and rectal cancer.Sci Rep. 2016;6(1):29765.National Cancer Institute.Colorectal cancer treatment.
Kuipers EJ, Grady WM, Lieberman D, et al.Colorectal cancer.Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2015;1:15065. doi:10.1038/nrdp.2015.65
Chan AT, Giovannucci EL.Primary prevention of colorectal cancer.Gastroenterology. 2010;138(6):2029–2043.e10. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2010.01.057
Rawla P, Sunkara T, Barsouk A.Epidemiology of colorectal cancer: incidence, mortality, survival, and risk factors.PRZ Gastroenterol.2019;14(2):89-103. doi:10.5114/pg.2018.81072
Bogaert J, Prenen H.Molecular genetics of colorectal cancer.Ann Gastroenterol. 2014;27(1):9-14.
Paschke S, Jafarov S, Staib L, et al.Are colon and rectal cancer two different tumor entities? A proposal to abandon the term colorectal cancer.IJMS. 2018;19(9):2577. doi:10.3390/ijms19092577
Kim SE, Paik HY, Yoon H, Lee JE, Kim N, Sung MK.Sex- and gender-specific disparities in colorectal cancer risk.World J Gastroenterol. 2015;21(17):5167–5175. doi:10.3748/wjg.v21.i17.5167
Brown KGM, Koh CE.Surgical management of recurrent colon cancer.J Gastrointest Oncol. 2020;11(3):513-525. doi:10.21037/jgo-2019-ccm-09
Fazeli MS, Keramati MR.Rectal cancer: a review.Med J Islam Repub Iran. 2015;29:171.
Riihimäki M, Hemminki A, Sundquist J, Hemminki K.Patterns of metastasis in colon and rectal cancer.Sci Rep. 2016;6(1):29765.
National Cancer Institute.Colorectal cancer treatment.
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