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Risk factors for Colon 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 colon cancer and not having risk factors doesn’t mean that you will not get cancer, it simply means that you are at greater risk than normal to develop the cancer.

Risk factors for colorectal cancer include the following:

  • Having a family history of colon cancer in a first degree relative (parent, sibling, or child).
  • Having a personal history of inflammatory bowel disease (Ulcerative colitis, or Crohn’s disease)
  • Having a personal history of previous colon, rectal, or ovarian cancer.
  • Having inherited changes in certain genes associated with familial colon cancer and polyposis syndromes.
    • Lynch syndrome
    • Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP)
  • Smoking
  • Obesity
  • More than 3 drinks of alcohol per day.

Older age is also a risk factor for most cancers. The chance of getting cancer increases as you get older.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12

Next: Diagnosis & Tests for Colon Cancer

References

 

1 Lynch HT, de la Chappelle A. Hereditary colorectal cancer. New England Journal of Medicine. 2003;348:919-32.

2 Mattar MC, Lough D, Pishvaian MJ, Charabaty A. Gastrointestinal Cancer Research.2011;4:53-61.

3 Chan AT, Giovannucci EL. Primary prevention of colorectal cancer. Gastroenterology. 2010;138:2029-2043.

4 Fung T, Hu FB, Fuchs C, et al. Major dietary patterns and the risk of colorectal cancer in women. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2003; 163:309-314.

5 Thygesen LC, Gronbaek M, Johansen C et al. Prospective weight change and colon cancer risk in male US health professionals. International Journal of Cancer. 2008:123:1160-5.

6 Pischon T, Lahmann PH, Boeing H et al. Body size and risk of colon and rectal cancer in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 2006;98:921-31.

7Paskett ED, Reeves KW, Rohan TE et al. Association between cigarette smoking and colorectal cancer in the Women’s Health Initiative. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 2007;99:1729-35.

8 The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the cancer agency of the World Health Organization, press release.

9 Howard RA, Freedman DM, Park Y, Hollenbeck A, Schatzkin A, Leitzmann MF. Physical activity, sedentary behavior, and the risk of colon and rectal cancer in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. Cancer Causes and Control. 2008;19:939-53.

10 Nilsen TI, Romundstad PR, Petersen H, Gunnell D, Vatten LJ. Recreational physical activity and cancer risk in subsites of the colon (the Nord-Trondelag Health Study). Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention. 2008;17:183-8.

11 Friedenreich C, Norat T, Steindorf K et al. Physical activity and risk of colon and rectal cancers: the European prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention. 2006;15:2398-407.

12 Doyle C, Kushi LH, Byers T et al. Nutrition and physical activity during and after cancer treatment: an American Cancer Society Guide for informed choices. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. 2006;56:323-353.

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Gallbladder and Bile Duct Cancer FACT SHEET

Gallbladder cancer is a rare and aggressive type of biliary cancer. The gallbladder holds and releases bile, a digestive fluid created by the liver, when food is broken down by the stomach and small intestine. Bile is released through the bile duct, which links the gallbladder and liver to the small intestine. Bile duct cancer, also known as cholangiocarcinoma, occurs when cancer cells form in bile ducts. The two forms of bile duct cancer are intrahepatic, which forms in the bile ducts within the liver, and extrahepatic, which forms in the bile ducts outside of the liver. Extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma can be classified as perihilar or distal based on the region of the bile duct where it is detected. While gallbladder and bile duct cancers are rare, both cancer types can be hard to detect early as symptoms can resemble other biliary system illnesses and there can be difficulty seeing abnormalities of the bile ducts on imaging.

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Brandy Villere

Patient Story: Brandy Villere

“If I can get just one young woman to ask the right questions about her treatment and fertility options, my speaking out publicly will have been worth it.”

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