How fast does colon cancer spread?

It depends: Some cancers grow slowly and others rapidly. At this point we cannot predict what will happen on an individual basis but as we learn more about the biology that day will come.

Unpredictable: Colon cancer spread to local lymph nodes and then on to other organs such as liver, lungs, bones. It can spread through the blood vessels or locally to other organs such as kidneys, prostate, etc. Rate of spread is unpredictable at present and likely depends on growth factors, cancer differentiation, and unknown factors. Of cancers that comeback after surgery, most (80%) do so within 3 years.