In most cases, it is only diagnosed upon reaching the advanced stage.  Color cancer spreads according to the following stages: stage zero, stage one, stage two, stage three and stage four.Stage zero is the preliminary stage of colorectal cancer or colon cancer.  In this stage, the cancer stays on the lining of the rectum or colon.  It is still hampered to the tissue which bulges from the outside of the organ called polyps.

The next stage of colon cancer is stage one.  This stage is more complex.  Here, the polyp becomes a tumor and widens into the wall of the colon or rectum.  Its only treatment is the removal of the affected part through surgery. 

In stage two, the cancer had spread but has not reached the lymph nodes yet.  The spreading of cancer from one part to any part of the body is called metastasis.  This may be treated by a resection surgery.  The five year survival rate of the patient may drop to 60%.

Once the cancer has extended outside the colon and reaches the lymph nodes, the cancer is now on stage three.  This stage needs more aggressive and intensive remedy.  Part of its treatment may be surgical removal of the tumor and chemotherapy if needed.  The survival rate jumps down to 35-59%.

The fourth stage is the most dangerous.   Here, cancer has spread to any organs in the body which includes the lungs and liver. The survival rate of the patient here drastically decreases which makes it as low as eight percent.

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