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Colon Cancer Risk Assessment

There are many factors that can affect your risk of developing colon cancer. When you participate in a colon cancer risk assessment, you answer questions about your lifestyle and family history. Your responses indicate whether or not you're at an increased risk of developing colon cancer in your lifetime.

  1. Risk Factors

    • Age, gender, diet, activity level and family history of the disease are just some of the factors that influence your probability of developing colon cancer. Risk assessments ask questions about each of these areas.

    Online Tools

    • There are free colon cancer risk assessments available online. Two such tests can be found at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Siteman Cancer Center (see References).

    NCI

    • NCI's questionnaire states specifically that it is only for people age 50 to 85. Also, it cautions that the risk estimates do not include statistics for American Indians or Alaska Natives. The Siteman Cancer Center doesn't mention any age or racial limitations.

    Findings

    • Your risk results are given in percentages. You'll also see how your risk score compares with people who are of the same age, gender and race.

    Expert Insight

    • NCI advises you take the results of your assessment to your doctor for further explanation and interpretation.

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