Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States, and an estimated 148,300 cases will occur in 2002, representing approx 11.5% of all new cancers. In men and women, colorectal cancer incidence declined between the mid-1980s and the mid-1990s and stabilized thereafter (1 ). In contrast, the incidence in Japan, Korea, and Singapore is rising rapidly, probably resulting from the acquisition of a Western lifestyle (2 ). The incidence of colorectal cancer increases with advancing age, with the peak incidence at 60–79 yr. Colorectal carcinoma is rare before the age of 40 yr except in individuals with genetic predisposition or a preexisting condition such as inflammatory bowel disease (3 ).