2.1
Colon cancer is a malignant neoplasm arising from the lining (mucosa) of the large intestine (colon). Colorectal cancer (including cancers of the rectum as well as cancers of the colon) is the third most common cancer in the UK. Almost 30,000 new cases were registered in England and Wales in 2002, representing over 12% of all new cancer cases. The incidence of colorectal cancer increases with age. In people between the ages of 45 and 49 years the incidence is about 20 per 100,000. Among those aged 75 and above, the rate is over 300 per 100,000 per year for men and over 200 per 100,000 per year for women.