Colon cancer is the third most common cancer in the United States, with over 95,000 new cases of colon cancer diagnosed each year, according to the American Cancer Society. It is also the third leading cause of death in women, and the second leading cause of cancer related death in men. Men are at a slightly higher risk for colon cancer than women. It stands at 1 out of every 21 for men, and 1 out of every 23 for women. While the statistics may be worrying, there is some good news about colon cancer, because the death rate has been falling for the last few decades, with more than one million survivors of colon and rectal cancer in the US today.