Colon Cancer Risk Factors
Age. Colon cancer most commonly occurs in people over 50, however it can occur in younger people. It is important for people to know the symptoms of colon cancer and to participate in colon cancer screening at the appropriate age.Consumption of alcohol. Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol has been linked to colon cancer.
Family history of colon cancer.Research tells us that colon cancer can be genetic, meaning it can be passed down to our family members through a defected gene. If you have a family history of colon cancer, discuss your risk factor with your doctor.
Personal history of colon cancer. If you personally have had colon cancer before, you are more at risk at developing it again. This is even true if it was successfully treated.
Inflammatory bowel disease. Having chronic inflammatory bowel disease puts you at a higher risk for developing colon cancer. IBD is a condition in which the colon suffers from inflammation for a period of time.
Polyps/Colon cancer can develop from polyps, extra tissue growths.
Obesity. Being overweight can increase your risk factor for developing colon cancer. Lack of exercise is also a contributor to the increase of one's colon cancer risk factor.
Diet high in fat. A diet high in fat, especially animal fat, not only raises your risk factor of being overweight, it increases your risk factor for colon cancer.
Smoking. Smoking increases your risk factor many types of cancer, colon cancer included. Smokers are 20%-30% more likely to die of colon cancer than non-smoking people with the disease. Smoking may be the culprit of at least 12% of colon cancer cases.
Diabetes. People with diabetes have an increased risk factor for developing colon cancer. In fact, it is estimated that they have a 30-40% increased risk factor.
