According to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, colorectal cancer is the fourth most common type of cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths. (“Colorectal Cancer Statistics.” CDC.gov.) According to the American Cancer Society, however, colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths, unless statistics combine female and male populations, in which case colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths.

(“Key Statistics for Colorectal Cancer.” Cancer.org.)

Regardless of its precise rank, colorectal cancer is a deadly illness that continues to grow more so. While this disease has traditionally appeared in populations of those 50 and older, incidences of colorectal cancer have begun to increase dramatically in younger populations. At the time of her diagnosis, Bowler would have had to wait another 15 years before a recommended colonoscopy. That the disease had metastasized dramatically by the time of her diagnosis is an indication it had been present for years.

As with other cancerous illnesses, references to colon cancer by a particular stage indicate how advanced the disease is. Stage I colorectal cancers are localized, usually contained within a polyp, or growth in the colon’s lining. Stage II colon cancers have escaped from the polyp in which they originated into the surrounding tissue.