ABC of colorectal cancer: Screening

Colorectal cancer is the third commonest malignancy in the United Kingdom, after lung and breast cancer, and kills about 20 000 people a year.It is equally prevalent in men and women, usually occurring in later life (at age 60-70 years).The incidence of the disease has generally increased over recent decades in both developed and developing countries.Despite this trend, mortality in both sexes has slowly declined.This decrease in mortality may reflect a trend towards earlier diagnosis-perhaps as a result of increased public awareness of the disease.