American Cancer Society

Smoking damages nearly every organ in the human body, is linked to at least 10 different cancers, and accounts for some 30% of all cancer deaths. And it costs billions of dollars each year. Yet one in four Americans still light up. If you or someone you love uses tobacco, you need to know about how tobacco kills, and how to get the help you need to quit.

Yes, quitting is tough, but it's worth the effort. The good news is that you don't have to do it alone. The US Surgeon General has stated, "Smoking cessation (stopping smoking) represents the single most important step that smokers can take to enhance the length and quality of their lives."

Quitting smoking is not easy, but it can be done. To have the best chance of quitting successfully, you need to know what you’re up against, what your options are, and where to go for help. This document will provide you with this information.

Quit Smoking

Cancer that starts in the different areas may cause different symptoms. But colon cancer and rectal cancer, together known as colorectal cancer, have many features in common. They will be discussed together in this document except for the section about treatment. There they will each be discussed separately.

In most cases, colorectal cancers develop slowly over a period of several years. We now know that most of these cancers begin as a polyp--a growth of tissue that starts in the lining and grows into the center of the colon or rectum. A type of polyp known as an adenoma can become cancerous. Removing the polyp early may prevent it from becoming cancer.

Over 95% of colon and rectal cancers are adenocarcinomas. These are cancers of the cells that line the inside of the colon and rectum. There are some other, more rare, types of tumors of the colon and rectum, but the facts given here refer only to adenocarcinomas.

Colon Cancer

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