Methods under Evaluation in the Diagnosis of Early Colorectal Cancer

Abstract

Colorectal cancer is one of the most frequent cancers found in medical practice, especially in western countries. A study performed by Jemal and co-workers showed that in 2005, in USA, colorectal cancer was the third most frequent cancer of all newly diagnosed cancers, as well as the third most frequent cause of death from cancer. Due to the unfavorable prognosis of the disease, survival at 5 years being approximately 50%, the diagnosing of cancer at earlier stages has been attempted. Studies demonstrate that for patients operated for colic cancer at an early stage, survival at 5 years is more than 90%, while for patients with colic cancer at an advanced stage, survival is 52%. The aim of this article is to update the literature data on new diagnostic methods in early colorectal cancer.