What is colorectal cancer?
- Anything that increases your chance of getting a disease is called a risk factor.
- Having a risk factor does not mean that you will get cancer; not having risk factors doesn’t mean that you will not get cancer.
Colorectal cancer risk factors
- Risk factors for colorectal cancer include the following:
. Age over 50
. Colorectal polyps
. Family history of colorectal cancer
. Genetic alterations
. Personal history of cancer
. Ulcerative colitis or Crohn disease
. Diet
. Smoking
- Colorectal cancer is more likely to occur as people get older.
- More than 90% of people with this disease are diagnosed after age 50.
- The average age at diagnosis is 72.
- Polyps are growths on the inner wall of the colon or rectum.
- They are common in people over age 50.
- Most polyps are benign (not cancer), but some polyps (adenomas) can become cancer.
- Finding and removing polyps may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer.
Family history of colorectal cancer
- Close relatives (parents, brothers, sisters, or children) of a person with a history of colorectal cancer are somewhat more likely to develop this disease themselves, especially if the relative had the cancer at a young age.
- If many close relatives have a history of colorectal cancer, the risk is even greater.
- Changes in certain genes increase the risk of colorectal cancer.
Hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer (HNPCC)
- Most common type of inherited (genetic) colorectal cancer.
. It accounts for about 2% of all colorectal cancer cases.
. It is caused by changes in an HNPCC gene.
. Most people with an altered HNPCC gene develop colon cancer, and the average age at diagnosis of colon cancer is 44.
- Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP)
. Rare, inherited condition in which hundreds of polyps form in the colon and rectum.
. It is caused by a change in a specific gene called APC.
. Unless FAP is treated, it usually leads to colorectal cancer by age 40.
. FAP accounts for less than 1% of all colorectal cancer cases.
- Family members of people who have HNPCC or FAP can have genetic testing to check for specific genetic changes.
- For those who have changes in their genes, doctor may suggest ways to try to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, or to improve the detection of this disease.
- For adults with FAP, the doctor may recommend an operation to remove all or part of the colon and rectum.
Personal history of cancer
- A person who has already had colorectal cancer may develop colorectal cancer a second time.
- Also, women with a history of cancer of the ovary, uterus (endometrium), or breast are at a somewhat higher risk of developing colorectal cancer
Ulcerative colitis or Crohn disease
- A person who has had a condition that causes inflammation of the colon (such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease) for many years is at increased risk of developing colorectal cancer
- Studies suggest that diets high in fat (especially animal fat) and low in calcium, folate and fiber may increase the risk of colorectal cancer.
- Also, some studies suggest that people who eat a diet very low in fruits and vegetables may have a higher risk of colorectal cancer.
- A person who smokes cigarettes may be at increased risk of developing polyps and colorectal cancer.
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