You will find information about the number of people who are diagnosed with colorectal cancer each year. You will also read general information on surviving the disease. Remember, survival rates depend on several factors. Use the menu to see other pages.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women each year in the United States, excluding skin cancer. 

This year, an estimated 149,500 adults in the United States will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer. These numbers include 104,270 new cases of colon cancer (52,590 men and 51,680 women) and 45,230 new cases of rectal cancer (26,930 men and 18,300 women).  

Overall, the death rate decreased by almost 2% each year from 2014 to 2018. However, deaths in adults under age 55 rose 1% each year from 2008 to 2017. Currently, there are over 1.5 million colorectal cancer survivors in the United States. 

Overall, the 5-year survival rate tells you what percent of people live at least 5 years after the cancer is found. Percent means how many out of 100. The 5-year survival rate for people with colorectal cancer is 65%. However, survival rates for colorectal cancer can vary based on several factors, particularly the stage. 

the 5-year survival rate is 72%. If the cancer has spread to distant parts of the body, the 5-year survival rate is 14%. However, for patients who have just 1 or a few tumors that have spread from the colon or rectum to the lung or liver, surgical removal of these tumors can sometimes eliminate the cancer, which greatly improves the 5-year survival rate for these patients. Survival rates are also available for colon cancer and rectal cancer separately. For colon cancer, the overall 5-year survival rate for people is 63%. If the cancer is diagnosed at a localized stage, the survival rate is 91%. If the cancer has spread to surrounding tissues or organs and/or the regional lymph nodes, the 5-year survival rate is 72%. If colon cancer has spread to distant parts of the body, the 5-year survival rate is 14%. 

For rectal cancer, the overall 5-year survival rate for people is 67%. If the cancer is diagnosed at a localized stage,