Prepared by: Tatjana Kofol Bric, Jona Bambič 
Date of last change: March 2018

Purpose and justification of the indicator

Colon and rectal cancer is the third most common cancer (4th in men, 3rd in women in the period 2010-2014) and accounts for 10% of all new cancer cases. In recent years, its incidence has been increasing, it is mainly related to an unhealthy lifestyle, such as consumption of an unhealthy diet, obesity, lack of exercise. A healthy lifestyle can help reduce the incidence of colon and rectal cancer. Improving behavioral risk factors is the responsibility of the individual and the environment. Local environments must provide conditions for individuals to carry out activities that are beneficial to health.
People older than 50 are more often affected, 5.5% are younger than 50. The probability of an individual born in 2014 to get cancer by the age of 75 is 4.3%.
In Slovenia, in the period 2010-2014, an average of 1,538 people fell ill with colon and rectal cancer annually, and 770 of them died. The relative five-year survival of patients with colon cancer is increasing and during this period was 62.9% for men and 59 .6% for women of all ages.
The disease develops for a long time without obvious signs of disease. The chances of recovery are greater when the disease is detected at a very early stage. For this purpose, a national program for screening and early detection of precancerous changes and colon and rectal cancer, called the Svit Program, has been established in Slovenia, the target population of which is people aged 50-74.
Activities to increase residents' awareness of this serious disease and the possibilities of prevention, early detection and action by increasing participation in the Svit Program can contribute to reducing the incidence of the disease and its consequences, including mortality.

Definition of indicator

The colon cancer incidence rate shows the average annual incidence of colon and rectal cancer per 100,000 population over the observed five-year period. An age-standardized rate is calculated, which enables mutual comparison of populations with different age structures.

Unit of measure

Age-standardized rate per 100,000 inhabitants.

Calculation of the indicator

The incidence rate of colon and rectal cancer is the ratio between the number of new cases of colon and rectal cancer in the observed population in one calendar year and the number of inhabitants in the observed population in the middle of the same calendar year, multiplied by 100,000.
The disease categories according to the ICD-10 classification, which are included in the calculation, are C18 &ndash; C20.
New cases of colon and rectal cancer
<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mo>=</mo><mfrac><mrow><mi>T</mi><mi>h</mi><mi>e</mi><mo>&#160;</mo><mi>n</mi><mi>u</mi><mi>m</mi><mi>b</mi><mi>e</mi><mi>r</mi><mo>&#160;</mo><mi>o</mi><mi>f</mi><mo>&#160;</mo><mi>n</mi><mi>e</mi><mi>w</mi><mo>&#160;</mo><mi>c</mi><mi>a</mi><mi>s</mi><mi>e</mi><mi>s</mi><mo>&#160;</mo><mi>o</mi><mi>f</mi><mo>&#160;</mo><mi>c</mi><mi>o</mi><mi>l</mi><mi>o</mi><mi>n</mi><mo>&#160;</mo><mi>a</mi><mi>n</mi><mi>d</mi><mo>&#160;</mo><mi>r</mi><mi>e</mi><mi>c</mi><mi>t</mi><mi>a</mi><mi>l</mi><mo>&#160;</mo><mi>c</mi><mi>a</mi><mi>n</mi><mi>c</mi><mi>e</mi><mi>r</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>T</mi><mi>h</mi><mi>e</mi><mo>&#160;</mo><mi>n</mi><mi>u</mi><mi>m</mi><mi>b</mi><mi>e</mi><mi>r</mi><mo>&#160;</mo><mi>o</mi><mi>f</mi><mo>&#160;</mo><mi>i</mi><mi>n</mi><mi>h</mi><mi>a</mi><mi>b</mi><mi>i</mi><mi>tan</mi><mi>t</mi><mi>s</mi><mo>&#160;</mo><mi>i</mi><mi>n</mi><mo>&#160;</mo><mi>t</mi><mi>h</mi><mi>e</mi><mo>&#160;</mo><mi>o</mi><mi>b</mi><mi>s</mi><mi>e</mi><mi>r</mi><mi>v</mi><mi>e</mi><mi>d</mi><mo>&#160;</mo><mi>p</mi><mi>o</mi><mi>p</mi><mi>u</mi><mi>l</mi><mi>a</mi><mi>t</mi><mi>i</mi><mi>o</mi><mi>n</mi></mrow></mfrac><mo>&#215;</mo><mn>100</mn><mo>.</mo><mn>000</mn></math>
The direct standardization method is used to calculate the age-standardized rate, where the Slovenian population from 2014 is used as the standard population. The incidence rate of colon and rectal cancer is shown as an average of five consecutive years.

Data sources for Slovenia

Cancer Registry of the Republic of Slovenia, Institute of Oncology
Population, Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia.

Time availability

Data on the incidence of colon cancer are published annually.

Men in literature

<ol>
<li>Zadnik V, Primic Žakelj M. SLORA: Slovenia and cancer. Cancer Epidemiology and Registry. Oncology Institute Ljubljana. <a href="http://www.slora.si" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.slora.si</a> (February 20, 2018).</li>
</ol>
2. Cancer in Slovenia 2014. Ljubljana: Oncology Institute Ljubljana, Cancer Epidemiology and Registry, Cancer Registry of the Republic of Slovenia, 2017.
3. SVIT ( <a href="http://www.program-svit.si/sl/rak-na-debelem-crevesu-in-danki" target="_blank" rel="noopener">http://www.program-svit.si/sl/rak-na-debelem-crevesu-in-danki</a> )

Notes

Cancer of the anus and anal canal (disease category according to the ICD-10 classification C21) is not included in the incidence.

Health status

Prepared by: Metka Zaletel 
Date of last modification: September 2016

Residents and community

Prepared by: Mojca Simončič and Metka Zaletel 
Date of last change: January 2018

Prepared by: Mojca Simončič and Metka Zaletel 
Date of last change: September 2016

Prepared by: Mojca Simončič 
Date of last change: March 2017

Prepared by: Gregor Starc 
Date of last modification: September 2016

Health risk factors

Prepared by: Gregor Starc, Kristina Orožen 
Date of last change: September 2016

Prepared by: Tina Lesnik 
Date of last change: March 2021

Prepared by: Andreja Belščak 
Date of last change: September 2016

Prepared by: Mateja Rok Simon and Tina Zupanič 
Date of last change: March 2017

Prepared by: Metka Zaletel 
Date of last modification: March 2019

Prepared by: Victoria Zakrajšek 
Date of last change: March 2021

Prepared by: Martin Ranfl, Jona Bambič 
Date of last change: November 2017

Prepared by: Victoria Zakrajšek, Tatjana Kofol Bric 
Date of last change: March 2019

Prepared by: Jasmina Staroveški Anderlič 
Date of last change: March 2020

Prepared by: Victoria Zakrajšek 
Date of last change: November 2021

Prepared by: Victoria Zakrajšek 
Date of last change: March 2023

Prepared by: Tatjana Kofol Bric 
Date of last modification: September 2016

Preventive

Prepared by: Victoria Zakrajšek and Sonja Tomšič 
Date of last change: March 2017

Prepared by: Bonia Miljavac 
Date of last change: March 2017

Prepared by: Sonja Tomšič 
Date of last change: November 2019

Prepared by: Sonja Tomšič 
Date of last change: March 2021

Prepared by: Victoria Zakrajšek 
Date of last change: March 2017

Prepared by: Aleš Korošec 
Date of last change: September 2016

Prepared by: Aleš Korošec
Date of last change: September 2016

Prepared by: Tatjana Kofol Bric 
Date of last change: March 2019

Prepared by: Aleš Korošec and Sonja Tomšič 
Date of last change: September 2016

Prepared by: Mojca Simončič and Metka Zaletel 
Date of last change: October 2019

Prepared by: Kristina Orožen 
Date of last change: March 2019

Prepared by: Victoria Zakrajšek, Tatjana Kofol Bric 
Date of last change: February 2020

Prepared by: Ema Ahačič 
Date of last change: April 2023

Prepared by: Ema Ahačič 
Date of last change: March 2023

Mortality

Prepared by: Sonja Tomšič, Tatjana Kofol Bric 
Date of last change: March 2019

Prepared by: Sonja Tomšič 
Date of last change: March 2019

Prepared by: Tina Lesnik 
Date of last change: March 2019

Prepared by: Tina Lesnik 
Date of last change: March 2020