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• Cancer in the colon and rectum is often called colon cancer.
• Colon cancer is the second most common cancer in Manitoba. In a year, over 800 men and women will be diagnosed with colon cancer. About 350 people will die from it.
• The time to check is before symptoms start. You can feel well and not even know that you have polyps or colon cancer.
• If colon cancer is detected in the earliest stage, there is over a 90% chance of survival.

What is colon cancer?

Colon cancer is an abnormal growth in the colon or rectum. The colon and rectum make up the large intestine, which is sometimes called the bowel. On this web site we use the term colon cancer to mean both colon and rectal cancers or colorectal cancer.

Colon cancer can develop from small growths (polyps) inside the colon and rectum.

You can have these polyps for a long time with no symptoms. These polyps can turn into cancer if they are not removed.

For more information see our frequently asked questions.