YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in men and women.  It's also the third most deadly form of cancer.  About 100,000 people are diagnosed each year with colorectal cancer in the United States.  The cancer involves the large bowel.  It is more common among men and in people over the age of 50. While it can be deadly, colorectal cancer is treatable if found early.  Colonoscopies can help doctors identify polyps that can cause colorectal cancer. A colonoscopy is recommended every 10 years for men and women over 50, unless their high risk, then it's done more frequently.

"Majority of patients do get picked up having colorectal cancer in stage 1-3 and about 1/4 of the patients are picked up in stage 4.  So, most of the time symptoms are just abdominal discomfort, sometimes noted bleeding in the bowels and unintentional weight loss is another key, decreased appetite, early satiety those are just some of the common symptoms people notice," said Dr. Sanaullah Khalid with The Hope Center for Cancer Care.

Dr. Khalid says the main stay of treatment for people diagnosed with stage 1 and stage 2 colorectal cancer is surgery. Surgery and chemotherapy are recommended for some stage 2 patients and stage 3 patients.  Chemotherapy is used to treat stage 4 patients.