With almost 65.000 new cases, colon cancer is – counting both sexes – the most frequently occuring cancer in Germany. The risk to fall ill of colon cancer is increasing significantly by age. More than 90 % of patients are more than 55 years old. The number of diagnosed colon cancer cases is in decline. A continuous decline of the mortality rate can also be observed. Next to the introduction of screening tests, this is also due to the progress made in colon cancer therapy. So, today, modern drugs like e.g. inhibitors of angiogenesis are used to pointedly cut off the nutritient supply of the tumor and starve it. Colon cancer is well to be treated, especially if it is discovered at an early stage, and it has a good chance of healing. From the age of 50, health insurances cover the costs of a yearly rapid test for hidden blood that can come from a tumor on the inside of the colon. However, the most effective screening test is colposcopy. There, the mucosa of the colon is observed with a flexible, optic instrument and it is looked for alterations. Since 2002, the costs for a colposcopy in people over 55 is covered by health insurance. In the prevention of colon cancer, a healthy way of life stands in the center. By renounciating to cigarettes and excessive consume of alcohol, and by a balanced nutrition and avoiding overweight, the risk to fall ill of colon cancer can be reduced. Source: Krebs in Deutschland 2007/2008, 8. Auflage, Robert Koch-Institut [Hrsg.], 2012
More info here