Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) & CBS Healthwatch^TM

Joining together with the community to fight this deadly disease.

• What is Colorectal Cancer?
• Medical Services at PAMF

What is Colorectal Cancer?

Colorectal cancer may not be at the forefront of people's minds like other types of cancer, such as breast or prostate cancer. However, colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States.

Estimated new cases and deaths from colon and rectal cancer in the United States in 2008:

• New cases: 108,070 (colon); 40,740 (rectal)
  
• Deaths: 49,960 (colon and rectal combined)

(source: National Cancer Institute, Accessed June 2008)

Common Symptoms

Colorectal cancer can be particularly deadly because individuals often do not have symptoms, and those with symptoms often have a form of colon cancer that is less curable. When symptoms do occur, the most common are:

• Rectal bleeding
  
• Blood in the stool or a change in bowel habits
  
• Unexplained weight loss
  
• Constant fatigue
  
• Nausea or vomiting

For resources about colorectal cancer, please visit our Healthwise Colorectal Overview page.
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Medical Services at PAMF

Testing and treatment of colorectal cancer is a team approach by a number of different medical specialties throughout all the clinics of PAMF. If you would like to learn more about the PAMF doctors and services in your area, please click on one of the links below:

Mountain View, Sunnyvale and Santa Clara
Gastroenterology
Oncology
Find a Doctor

Palo Alto, San Mateo area and Fremont
Gastroenterology
Oncology
Find a Doctor

Santa Cruz
Gastroenterology
Oncology
Find a Doctor
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