Colon cancer survival rates indicate the chances a cancer patient has of surviving the disease for a specified length of time. The rates are by no means a definite indicator of what will happen to a patient; they can at best predict a patient’s chances of what might happen to him, if a type of treatment plan is opted for, based on what has happened to other patients in similar circumstances. They serve as a guide to a patient and his family to know what they can expect if they choose a particular type of treatment or if they should consider one at all rather than just opt for pain relievers and sedation.
Colon cancer is a disease of the lower part of the digestive system affecting the colon, rectum and appendix. It is also called colorectal or large bowel cancer. It is the 2nd leading cause of cancer related deaths in the Western World.
Colon cancer when detected in the early stages is one of the most curable of cancers, by as much as 90%. Happily, the colon cancer survival rates have been steadily improving over the past 20 years, because of improved screening that makes treatment possible at the early curable stages. There are over 1 million survivors of the disease in the US today.