Colorectal Cancer

General Statistics

Leading Cause of Death

Colorectal cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in Illinois
In Illinois, colorectal cancer incidence and mortality rates are higher in males than in females
In Illinois, colorectal cancer incidence and mortality rates are highest in Black populations and lowest in Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic populations

New Diagnoses (Incidence)

In the United States, the incidence of colorectal cancer has decreased from 45.9 per 100,000 in 2008 to 36.8 per 100,000 in 2017
In Illinois, the incidence of colorectal cancer has decreased from 50.9 per 100,000 in 2008 to 40.4 per 100,000 in 2017
In 2017, there were a total of 141,425 new colorectal cancer cases in the United States and a total of 6,073 new colorectal cancer cases in Illinois
Between 2013 and 2017, colorectal cancer was the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in males and in females in Illinois

Deaths (Mortality)

In the United States, mortality from colorectal cancer has decreased from 16.5 per 100,000 in 2008 to 13.5 per 100,000 in 2017
In Illinois, mortality from colorectal cancer has decreased from 18.2 per 100,000 in 2008 to 14.6 per 100,000 in 2017
In 2017, there were a total of 52,547 deaths from colorectal cancer in the United States and a total of 2,223 deaths from colorectal cancer in Illinois
Between 2013 and 2017, colorectal cancer was the third leading cause of cancer death in males and in females in Illinois

Risk Factors

Modifiable risk factors for colorectal cancer include:

Overweight or obesity
Lack of physical activity
Poor diet
Smoking tobacco
Alcohol use

Non-modifiable risk factors for colorectal cancer include:

Age
Personal history of colorectal cancer, polyps, or bowel disease
Family history of colorectal cancer
Inherited syndromes

Prevention and Early Detection

Lifestyle factors that can lower a person’s risk for colorectal cancer include:

Maintaining a healthy weight
Engaging in regular physical activity
Following a healthy diet
Not smoking cigarettes
Limiting alcohol intake

Engaging in regular colorectal cancer screening can identify and remove precancerous polyps, which can reduce the risk for colorectal cancer. Screening can also detect colorectal cancer at an earlier stage when treatment may be easier, and survival may be improved. The USPSTF announced in May 2021 the recommendation for colorectal screening to start at age 45 years and continue until age 75 years. Illinois currently has 803,237 residents’ ages 45-49, which will add to the 50-75 years of age Illinois residents that are also recommended for colorectal cancer screening.

The American Cancer Society recommends that people at average risk of colorectal cancer begin regular screening at age 45. The age to begin screening, the type of test used, and the frequency of screening is based on individual and familial factors and prior screening results. The following are the different tests used to screen for colorectal cancer:

Stool-based tests that check the stool for blood or altered DNA
- Highly sensitive fecal immunochemical test (FIT) every year
- Highly sensitive guaiac-based fecal occult blood test (gFOBT) every year
- Multi-targeted stool DNA test (mt-sDNA) every three years
Direct visualization tests which look inside the colon for abnormalities
- Colonoscopy every 10 years
  - Colonoscopy has a distinct advantage over other screening methods
  - Precancerous polyps can be removed during the procedure
- CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy) every five years
- Flexible sigmoidoscopy (FSIG) every five years