What Are the Risks of Colon Cancer?

There are some people who are more prone to getting colon cancer than others. Anyone who falls into any of the risk categories can take steps to reduce their risk for colon cancer. These categories range from family history, to bowel disorders, to being overweight. The steps to lowering the risks include maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle, daily 30 minute exercise routines, eating 5 or more servings of fresh fruit and vegetables each day, and watching alcohol consumption.

Age

• A person who is 50 years of age or older has a 90 percent chance of getting colon cancer.

Family Factors

• Anyone who has a family history of colon cancer is at high risk. This is also true of anyone who has uterine or ovarian cancer in the family.

Disease

• Anyone who has had Ulcerative colitis or Crohn's Disease, forms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, for more than 10 years is at high risk. The cells of any Irritable Bowel Syndrome can turn cancerous and this is especially true the longer the person suffers from the bowel disorder.

Personal Colon Polyps

• Anyone who has had more than three Colon Polyps is at high risk. This also is true of colorectal cancer which has been totally removed from the intestine. This type of cancer is likely to appear in other parts of the colon or rectum.

Race and Ethnicity

• African-Americans have the highest occurrence of both colon cancer and colorectal cancer of all racial groups in the United States. They also have the highest mortality rate caused by this disease.
  Jews of Eastern European descent are the ethnic group with the highest risk rate worldwide.

Diet

• Colon cancer risk is increased when a person maintains a diet rich in red meat and certain processed meats which include hot dogs and some lunch meat. The risk is also increased when meat has been cooked over or at high temperature.

Sedentary Lifestyle

• A person who is not physically active is at higher risk of developing colon cancer.