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Colon and Rectal Cancer
 The colon (large intestine) and the rectum are the final organs in the digestive system. The colon is approximately four to six feet long. It sits in an upside down “U” shape in the abdomen. The colon’s job is to absorb water from digested food, form the remaining solids into waste and hold the stool until it can be eliminated. Cancer of the colon or rectum is often called colorectal cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be 108,070 new cases of colorectal cancer diagnosed in the United States in 2008 (40,740 from rectal cancer). Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in men and women and the second leading cause of death from cancer in the United States. OverviewAt RPCI, a multidisciplinary team works to provide optimal care to colon cancer patients. Investigators in the hospital and in the laboratory explore how cancer develops, devise new methods to diagnose it in its earliest, most curable stages and collaborate on, develop and test new and innovative treatments for all stages of the disease. The gold standard for chemotherapy treatment for colon cancer includes includes 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin. This combination was developed at RPCI and is called the "Roswell Regimen."
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