There are many risk factors that increase the chance of developing colon cancer. Listed in this article are risk factors people can change and those they cannot change. Reducing lifestyle risk factors is very important to preventing colon cancer among other cancers and diseases.
Having risk factors does not guarantee a person will get sick. People who do not have any risk factors can still get sick. If you have one or more of the risk factors for colon cancer, you should consult a gastroenterologist and may want to schedule a colonoscopy screening.
Many lifestyle-related factors have been linked to colorectal cancer. In fact, the links between diet, weight, and exercise affecting colorectal cancer risk are some of the most impactful factors out of all cancer s.
If you are overweight or obese, your risk of developing and dying from colorectal cancer is higher. Getting to and staying at a healthy weight may help lower your risk.
If you’re not physically active, you have a greater chance of developing colon cancer. Regular moderate to vigorous physical activity can help lower your risk.
A diet that’s high in red meats (such as beef, pork, lamb, or liver) and processed meats (like hot dogs and some luncheon meats) raises your colorectal cancer risk.
Cooking meats at very high temperatures (frying, broiling, or grilling) creates chemicals that might raise your cancer risk. It’s not clear how much this might increase your colorectal cancer risk.
Having a low blood level of vitamin D may also increase your risk.
Following a healthy eating pattern that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains that limits or avoids red and processed meats and sugar probably lowers risk.
People who have smoked tobacco for a long time are more likely than non-smokers to develop and die from colorectal cancer. Smoking is a well-known cause of lung cancer, but it’s linked to many other cancers, too.
Colorectal cancer has been linked to moderate to heavy alcohol consumption. Even light-to-moderate alcohol intake has been associated with some risk. It is best not to drink alcohol. If people do drink alcohol, they should have no more than 2 drinks a day for men and 1 drink a day for women. This could have many health benefits, including a lower risk of many kinds of cancer.
The risk of developing colorectal cancer increases with age. Younger adults can get it, but it’s much more common after age 45. Colorectal cancer is being found more frequently in younger people than before, but the reason is unknown. If you are 45 or over or if you have any risk factors or symptoms of colorectal cancer, you should consult a gastroenterologist.
African Americans have the highest colorectal cancer incidence and mortality rates of all racial groups in the US. Additionally, Jews of Eastern European descent (Ashkenazi Jews) have one of the highest colorectal cancer risks of any ethnic group in the world.
People with type 2 (usually non-insulin dependent) diabetes have an increased risk of colorectal cancer. Both type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer share some of the same risk factors (such as being overweight and physical inactivity), but those with type 2 diabetes still have a higher risk than others who are also overweight and inactive without diabetes.
If you have a history of adenomatous polyps (adenomas), you are at increased risk of developing colorectal cancer. This is especially true if the polyps are large, if there are many of them, or if any of them show dysplasia.
If you’ve had colorectal cancer, even though it was completely removed, you are more likely to develop new cancers in other parts of the colon and rectum. The chances of this happening are greater if you had your first colorectal cancer when you were younger.
If you have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including either ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, your risk of colorectal cancer is increased.
IBD is a condition in which the colon is inflamed over a long period of time. People who have had IBD for many years, especially if untreated, often develop dysplasia. Dysplasia is a term used to describe cells in the lining of the colon or rectum that look abnormal, but are not cancer cells. They can change into cancer over time.
If you have IBD, you may need to start getting screened for colorectal cancer when you are younger and be screened more often.
Inflammatory bowel disease is different from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which does not appear to increase your risk for colorectal cancer.
Most colorectal cancers are found in people without a family history of colorectal cancer. Still, as many as 1 in 3 people who develop colorectal cancer have other family members who have had it.
People with a history of colorectal cancer in a first-degree relative (parent, sibling, or child) are at increased risk. The risk is even higher if that relative was diagnosed with cancer when they were younger than 50, or if more than one close relative is affected.
The reasons for the increased risk are not clear in all cases. Cancers can “run in the family” because of inherited genes, shared environmental factors, or a combination of these. Having family members who have had adenomatous polyps is also linked to a higher risk of colon cancer. (Adenomatous polyps are the kind of polyps that can become cancer.)
If you have a family history of adenomatous polyps or colorectal cancer, talk with your doctor about the possible need to start screening before age 45.
About 5% of people who develop colorectal cancer have inherited gene changes (mutations) that cause family cancer syndromes and can lead to them getting the disease.
The most common inherited syndromes linked with colorectal cancers are Lynch syndrome (hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer or HNPCC) and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), but other rarer syndromes can increase colorectal cancer risk, too.
Since many of these syndromes are linked to colorectal cancer at a young age and also linked to other types of cancer, identifying families with these inherited syndromes is important. It lets doctors recommend specific steps such as screening and other preventive measures when the person is younger. Information on risk assessment, and genetic counseling and testing for these syndromes can be found in Genetic Testing, Screening, and Prevention for People with a Strong Family History of Colorectal Cancer.
If you have one or more risk factors, if you’re at average risk and it’s been 10 years since your last colonoscopy (or 5 years for other visual exams: CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy) or flexible sigmoidoscopy (FSIG)), or if you’re experiencing symptoms of colorectal cancer, schedule a colonoscopy screening today.
Gastroenterology Consultants of San Antonio takes a comprehensive and collaborative approach to healthcare. Our physicians specialize in all aspects of gastroenterology, and we work closely with other specialists — including primary care physicians, surgeons, oncologists, and radiologists — to create an individualized care plan just for you.
Comfort and digestive health await you at Gastroenterology Consultants of San Antonio.
Source: American Cancer Society
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