Colorectal cancer is cancer that occurs in the colon or rectum, and affects both men and women of all racial and ethnic groups, and is most often found in people aged 50 years or older. For men, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer after prostate and lung cancers. For women, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer after breast and lung cancers. Fecal occult blood should be an important indicator in the diagnostic evaluation of patients with suspected gastrointestinal bleeding of any etiology, not just as an indication of colorectal cancer.
