Colo-rectal cancer, of the colon or the rectum, is equally common in both men and women. An estimated 153,760 people were diagnosed in 2007, and more than 52,000 died from the disease. However, this is one of the most easily prevented cancers because it often develops from polyps that can be removed before they become cancerous.

Seventy-five percent of all colon cancer occurs in people with no known medical risk factors. This emphasizes the importance of routine colon cancer screenings. March is National Colorectal Cancer Screening Awareness Month.

According to The Cancer Reasearch Foundation of America, when detected and treated early, the five-year survival rate for colo-rectal cancer is 91%. Screenings are not painful, and are often covered by Medicare and by many insurers.