Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCommon Risk FactorsGeneticsLifestyle Risk FactorsPossible LinksFrequently Asked QuestionsNext in Colon Cancer GuideHow Colon Cancer Is Diagnosed
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Common Risk Factors
Genetics
Lifestyle Risk Factors
Possible Links
Frequently Asked Questions
Next in Colon Cancer Guide
Most cancers in thecolonorrectum(the digestive tube located between the colon and anus) develop frompolyps, which are growths that form within the colon’s inner lining.
While most polyps do not turn into cancer, the ones that are most likely to are calledadenomatous polypsor adenomas. Large polyps (greater than 1 centimeter), polyps that contain abnormal cells (called dysplastic polyps), and having two or more polyps within the colon also increases the likelihood of colon cancer.
Several factors increase the risk ofcolon cancer, some are within your control (modifiable), and some are not.
Knowing the causes and risk factors for colon cancer can help you understand the importance of routine screening and learn if you should begin screening at an earlier age.
Verywell
The chance of developingcolon cancerincreases as you get older, especially after age 50.Modifiable risk factors such as being overweight and eating a diet rich in red and processed meats contribute to your risk.
Furthermore, havingtype 2 diabetes, inflammatorybowel diseaseor a family history of colon cancer also increases your risk of developing the disease.
Age
Older age is the number one risk factorfor colon cancer.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 90% of colorectal cancer cases occur in people 50 and older.
That said, young adults can get colon cancer too. In fact, the incidence ofcolon cancer in young peoplebetween 20 and 39 is increasing, and experts are not sure why.Moreover, contrary to popular thought, most colon cancers in young people are not linked to genetic syndromes, but occur sporadically.
The bottom line is that while increasing age is a major risk factor for developing colon cancer, it’s important for anyone of any age to be familiar with the symptoms and risk factors for this disease.
Ethnicity and Race
Ethnicity and race are also factors associated with cancer risk. African Americans are more likely to develop and die from colon cancer than Caucasians. Another high-risk group for getting colon cancer is people of Jewish Eastern European descent.
Being Overweight or Obese
The link between colon cancer andobesityis strong. All told, people who are obese are over 30% more likely to develop this type of cancer than people of normal weight.Regular physical activity can actually protect you from developing colon cancer.
Type 2 Diabetes
Research has consistently shown a link between type 2 diabetes and the development of colon cancer.In addition, the risk of colon cancer increases for people with type 2 diabetes who have been obese for at least four years.
Personal History of Colon Polyps
A colon polyp is an abnormal growth in the lining of the colon. Most commonly, cancers of the colon develop from adenomatous polyps, withadenocarcinomabeing the most prevalent type of colorectal cancer.Adenomatous polyps can be villous (frond or leaf-like), tubular, raised, or flat.
Virtually all colon cancers develop from adenomatous polyps; having one or more adenomatous polyps increases your risk of developing colon cancer. This risk is higher the larger a polyp is, the more polyps you have, and if a polyp shows dysplasia (contains some abnormal-looking cells).
The upside is that when these polyps are found and removed via colonoscopy, they no longer have the opportunity to become cancerous.
What Are the Types of Colon Polyps?
Personal History of Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) includes conditions such as ulcerative colitis andCrohn’s disease. Both are associated with the development of colon cancer, and the risk increases the longer a person has IBD.
For example, while the results of different studies vary slightly, according to one analysis, colorectal cancer occurred in 0.4% of people with ulcerative colitis within a 10-year period and in up to 5.3% within 20 years.
In addition to disease duration, people with more extensive colitis (colon inflammation) are at a higher risk. More specifically, people whose entire colon is diseased (called pan-colitis) have the highest risk of developing colon cancer.
Research suggests that people who haveulcerative colitisare almost two and a half times as likely to get colorectal cancer than those without it, and those with extensive colitis have almost a five-fold increased risk.
It’s important to note that IBD should not be confused withirritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which does not increase a person’s risk of developing colon cancer.
The Link Between Crohn’s and Colon Cancer
Radiation
Receivingradiationtreatment to the abdomen, pelvis, or spine as a child increases the risk of developingcolon cancer. This is why the Children’s Oncology Group recommends that “if you were treated with radiation therapy to the abdomen, pelvis, spine, or total body during childhood, adolescence, or young adulthood, you should be screened for colorectal cancer beginning five years after radiation or at age 30, whichever occurs last. These options include stool-based testing every three years or colonoscopy every five years.”
Research also suggests that men who have received radiation therapy to treat prostate and testicular cancer have a higher rate of colorectal cancer.
Research has shown that one in four cases of colon cancer has some sort ofgenetic link. So if you have a first-degree family member (brother, sister, father, mother, child) with colon cancer or polyps, your risk of developing colon cancer is increased.
It’s important to note that colon cancer runs in families, but these cancers are related to specific genetic syndromes only some of the time.
Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP)
Hereditary Nonpolyposis Colorectal Cancer (HNPCC)
Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome (PJS)
This is an inherited condition that causes colon polyps that are more prone to becoming cancerous. PJS is not common: It affects only between one in 25,000 to one in 300,000 people at birth.
PJS can be passed on to a child (50/50 chance) or developed sporadically for unknown reasons. Some symptoms associated with the syndrome that are usually spotted at birth include pigmented dark spotting on the lips or in the mouth, clubbing of the fingers or toenails, and blood in the stool.
Alcohol Consumption
Alcohol is considered one of the major risk factors for colon cancer, and the risk is directly linked to the amount of alcohol consumed. In fact, even moderate alcohol consumption may put a person at risk.
Dietary Factors
Diets high in fat and cholesterol, especially red meats (for example, beef, lamb, and pork), have been linked to colon cancer. There also is research showing that eating more than 1.5 ounces of processed meat per day, such as hot dogs and lunch meat, increases the risk of death due to colon cancer.
While there are no “set in stone” guidelines for exactly how much red or processed meat you can consume to avoid increasing your colon cancer risk, the World Cancer Research Fund recommends consuming less than 500 grams of red meat per week (equivalent to about 18 ounces per week) and eating very little (if any) processed meat.
The American Cancer Society also recommends limiting red and processed meats (although there are no set consumption guidelines) and eating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to lower your risk for getting colon cancer.
Smoking
Smoking is strongly associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer. According to a review in theAmerican Journal of Gastroenterology, a person’s risk of developing colorectal cancer increases proportionately with the number of years they smoke and the intensity of their smoking.As soon as a person quits smoking, however, their risk of colon cancer starts to decrease.
Lung Cancer Fighting Foods
There are many other factors linked to an increased risk of developing colon cancer, though it’s important to note the jury is still out on them.
Some of these include:
More controversial (meaning the link is even fuzzier) risk factors include:
Frequently Asked QuestionsQuite a few gene mutations associated with specific inherited syndromes have been implicated in colorectal cancer. These include the APC gene, which is involved in familial adenomatous polyposis, and the STK11 gene, linked to Peutz-Jeghers syndrome.Other genes associated with heightened colon cancer risk include thePOLD1andPOLE, GREM1,MSH3, and NTHL1genes.No. Polyps are common in the gastrointestinal tract; most are harmless. The polyps most likely to become malignant are adenomas, although most of these do not become cancerous. Those that do typically are relatively large—more than 1 inch in diameter. It’s impossible to tell if a polyp is cancerous or potentially cancerous without removing it and analyzing it in a lab, so most are removed when discovered during acolonoscopy.Colon cancer is not associated so much with a type of diet as it is with certain foods that either increase the risk or lower it. To decrease your risk of colon cancer eat poultry (chicken, turkey), fish and shellfish, foods made with whole grains, and water and low-sugar beverages. Limit foods such as red meat (beef, lamb, pork, liver), processed meats (hot dogs, bacon, cold cuts), foods made with white flour, and sugary beverages.It’s not clear, but there are three main theories:Chemicals formed when food is cooked at very high temperatures, such asgrilling, may cause mutations in DNA.Heme, the component of red meat that gives it color, may cause damage to DNA.A molecule called N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc) that occurs in diets that include beef, lamb, and pork may cause colorectal tumors to form and progress.
Quite a few gene mutations associated with specific inherited syndromes have been implicated in colorectal cancer. These include the APC gene, which is involved in familial adenomatous polyposis, and the STK11 gene, linked to Peutz-Jeghers syndrome.Other genes associated with heightened colon cancer risk include thePOLD1andPOLE, GREM1,MSH3, and NTHL1genes.
No. Polyps are common in the gastrointestinal tract; most are harmless. The polyps most likely to become malignant are adenomas, although most of these do not become cancerous. Those that do typically are relatively large—more than 1 inch in diameter. It’s impossible to tell if a polyp is cancerous or potentially cancerous without removing it and analyzing it in a lab, so most are removed when discovered during acolonoscopy.
Colon cancer is not associated so much with a type of diet as it is with certain foods that either increase the risk or lower it. To decrease your risk of colon cancer eat poultry (chicken, turkey), fish and shellfish, foods made with whole grains, and water and low-sugar beverages. Limit foods such as red meat (beef, lamb, pork, liver), processed meats (hot dogs, bacon, cold cuts), foods made with white flour, and sugary beverages.
It’s not clear, but there are three main theories:Chemicals formed when food is cooked at very high temperatures, such asgrilling, may cause mutations in DNA.Heme, the component of red meat that gives it color, may cause damage to DNA.A molecule called N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc) that occurs in diets that include beef, lamb, and pork may cause colorectal tumors to form and progress.
It’s not clear, but there are three main theories:
How Colon Cancer Is Diagnosed
22 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Cancer Society.Colorectal cancer risk factors.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Screening for colorectal cancer.
Siegel RL, Fedewa SA, Anderson WF, et al.Colorectal cancer incidence patterns in the United States, 1974-2013.J Natl Cancer Inst. 2017;109(8). doi:10.1093/jnci/djw322
Ma Y, Yang Y, Wang F, et al.Obesity and risk of colorectal cancer: A systematic review of prospective studies. Gorlova OY, ed.PLoS ONE. 2013;8(1):e53916. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0053916
Peeters PJ, Bazelier MT, Leufkens HG, De Vries F, De Bruin ML.The risk of colorectal cancer in patients with type 2 diabetes: Associations with treatment stage and obesity.Diabetes Care. 2015;38(3):495-502. doi:10.2337/dc14-1175
American Cancer Society.What is colorectal cancer?
Jess T, Rungoe C, Peyrin–Biroulet L.Risk of colorectal cancer in patients with ulcerative colitis: A meta-analysis of population-based cohort studies.Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. 2012;10(6):639-645. doi:10.1016/j.cgh.2012.01.010
Children’s Oncology Group.Health link: Healthy living after treatment of childhood, adolescent, and young adult cancer.
Desautels D, Czaykowski P, Nugent Z, Demers AA, Mahmud SM, Singh H.Risk of colorectal cancer after the diagnosis of prostate cancer: A population-based study.Cancer. 2016;122(8):1254-60. doi:10.1002/cncr.29919
Strafford JC.Genetic testing for Lynch syndrome, an inherited cancer of the bowel, endometrium, and ovary.Rev Obstet Gynecol. 2012;5(1):42-9.
Wu M, Krishnamurthy K.Peutz-Jeghers syndrome. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2024.
Sinha R, Cross AJ, Graubard BI, Leitzmann MF, Schatzkin A.Meat intake and mortality: A prospective study of over half a million people.Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(6):562-71. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2009.6
World Cancer Research Fund.Limit red and processed meat.
American Cancer Society.Can colorectal cancer be prevented?
Zhang Y, Liu H, Li L, et al.Cholecystectomy can increase the risk of colorectal cancer: A meta-analysis of 10 cohort studies. Ellis NA, ed.PLoS ONE. 2017;12(8):e0181852. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0181852
McCullough ML, Zoltick ES, Weinstein SJ, et al.Circulating vitamin D and colorectal cancer risk: An international pooling project of 17 cohorts.JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 2019;111(2):158-169. doi:10.1093/jnci/djy087
Citronberg JS, Hardikar S, Phipps A, Figueiredo JC, Newcomb P.Laxative type in relation to colorectal cancer risk.Ann Epidemiol. 2018;28(10):739-741. doi:10.1016/j.annepidem.2018.06.011
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.Hereditary colon cancer and polyposis.
American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.Understanding polyps and their treatment.
Geisinger Health.3 foods that may increase your risk of colon cancer.
Cascella M, Bimonte S, Barbieri A, et al.Dissecting the mechanisms and molecules underlying the potential carcinogenicity of red and processed meat in colorectal cancer (CRC): An overview on the current state of knowledge.Infect Agent Cancer. 2018;13:3. doi:10.1186/s13027-018-0174-9
Aykan NF.Red meat and colorectal cancer.Oncol Rev. 2015 Feb 10;9(1):288. doi:10.4081/oncol.2015.288Children’s Oncology Group.Long-term follow-up guidelines for survivors of childhood, adolescent, and young adult cancers.Citronberg J, Kantor ED, Potter JD, White E.A prospective study of bowel movement frequency, constipation, and laxative use on colorectal cancer risk.Am J Gastroenterol. 2014 Oct;109(10):1640-49. doi:10.1038/ajg.2014.233Kim ER, Chang DK.Colorectal cancer in inflammatory bowel disease: The risk, pathogenesis, prevention and diagnosis.World J Gastroenterol. 2014 Aug 7;20(29):9872-81. doi:10.3748/wjg.v20.i29.9872Swede H et al.Baseline serum C-reactive protein and death from colorectal cancer in the NHANES III cohort.Int J Cancer.2014 Apr 15;134(8):1862-70. doi:10.1002/ijc.28504
Aykan NF.Red meat and colorectal cancer.Oncol Rev. 2015 Feb 10;9(1):288. doi:10.4081/oncol.2015.288
Children’s Oncology Group.Long-term follow-up guidelines for survivors of childhood, adolescent, and young adult cancers.
Citronberg J, Kantor ED, Potter JD, White E.A prospective study of bowel movement frequency, constipation, and laxative use on colorectal cancer risk.Am J Gastroenterol. 2014 Oct;109(10):1640-49. doi:10.1038/ajg.2014.233
Kim ER, Chang DK.Colorectal cancer in inflammatory bowel disease: The risk, pathogenesis, prevention and diagnosis.World J Gastroenterol. 2014 Aug 7;20(29):9872-81. doi:10.3748/wjg.v20.i29.9872
Swede H et al.Baseline serum C-reactive protein and death from colorectal cancer in the NHANES III cohort.Int J Cancer.2014 Apr 15;134(8):1862-70. doi:10.1002/ijc.28504
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
