Student shines a light on rare colon cancer

Colon cancer is one of the most common cancers in the U.S., with more than 100,000 cases diagnosed each year. But some people develop a highly aggressive form of colon cancer that is extremely rare, making up 0.02% to 0.1% of all colon cancers. Known as squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the colon, it originates in squamous cells, a type of epithelial cell. Epithelial cells line internal and external body tissues, but squamous cells are not normally found in the colon or rectum. Symptoms of colorectal SCC resemble those of other colon cancers but do not appear until later stages of the disease, making it harder to treat.