Colorectal Cancer Screening Guidelines and Treatment

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers in the U.S. Many colorectal cancers start as polyps and may have no early symptoms. Regular screenings can prevent polyps from becoming cancer or find cancer early when there are the most treatment options. Here to tell us more is Janice Zhao, MD, a medical oncologist with the Froedtert & MCW Cancer Network. 

What is colorectal cancer, and where does it start? 

Colorectal cancer is a cancer of the colon, also known as the large intestine or the rectum. Typically, colorectal cancer starts as a growth, also called a polyp, in the lining of either the colon or the rectum. 

When should someone get screened for colorectal cancer, and why is early detection important? 

We recommend that a person at average risk get colorectal cancer screening starting at age 45. However, we recommend you talk with a doctor about screening methods as well as individual risk factors. We know that colorectal cancer has been on the rise in those that are under the age of 50, so younger patients. And it's important to catch colorectal cancer earlier, as it's often more treatable, and there are longer and better survival outcomes. 

Why should someone choose the Froedtert & MCW Cancer Network for colorectal cancer treatment? 

So there's multiple reasons why we'd recommend getting your treatment here. One of which being we have disease-specific experts who are up to date on the latest treatments for colorectal cancer. We also have access to clinical trials, which give you treatment options not available elsewhere. And we also have multiple locations, so you can get treatment as close to home as possible. Lastly, we have the largest cancer clinical trials treatment program in eastern Wisconsin.