thomasdevos
10-05-2009, 12:30 AM
Colon Cancer Causes and Risk Factors
You or a family member have been diagnosed with colon cancer and you want to know what caused this cancer. Doctors Don't know the exact cause of colon cancer, but they do know it usually starts as small growths inside the colon, called polyps. These polyps may take years to grow large enough to be seen during a routine colonoscopy and then it takes several years for polyps to become cancerous.
Although the exact cause of colon cancer is unknown, there are several risk factors that can increase your chances of developing this cancer. A risk factor is something that can increase the chances of you developing cancer or other disease. Some risk factors such as age, can not be changed while others, such as food, can be modified and may reduce the risk. Risk factors for the range of colon cancer from age to hereditary diseases.
The first risk factor for colon cancer is most common. It is your age. About 90% of cases of colon cancer in people aged over 50. Many of these cases have no other risk factors, making this the most important factor in the development of this cancer. That's why many doctors suggest get a colonoscopy as part of your annual review from 50 years.
Another risk factor for developing colon cancer is your family medical history and any other's hereditary disease which may affect the development of colon polyps. If a member of your immediate family (parents, siblings or children) had colon cancer, you're more likely to develop. The risk depends on how many parents have had, how old they were when they were diagnosed and if the story spans multiple generations. This is considered a family history of colon cancer and may be caused by genetic mutations. These mutations are more common in certain ethnic groups such as Jews of Eastern European heritage. If this is your case, you may want to have a blood test to check all the genetic mutations.
These genetic changes can cause several conditions, such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), attenuated familial adenomatous polyposis (AFAP) and hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer (HNPCC). All these genetic conditions can develop into colon cancer if untreated. These conditions are rare and few people diagnosed with colon cancer actually have them.
Your medical history also contributes to your risk of developing colon cancer. The risk is higher if you had cancer in the past. Polyps large, even after the withdrawal, may increase your chances of developing colon cancer. There are also some diseases that may increase your risk of colon cancer, such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.
The final ? and easiest to change ? risk factors are diet, exercise and habits. A high-fat, high in calories and a diet high in protein has been shown to increase the chances of you developing colon cancer. This type of system may also contribute to another risk factor, weight. Lack of exercise also helps your own risk. You can minimize these three risk factors by making some simple changes like eating more fruits and vegetables and start exercising. These two changes will help you lose weight and improve your diet. Smoking and alcohol also contribute to the risk of colon cancer. Some studies have shown that smoking increases your chances of developing colon cancer. Alcoholics are also at increased risk of colon cancer because of their alcohol consumption. Studies have shown that drinking more than 2 drinks per day increases the risk of colon cancer.
Reference Site:
colon cancer treatment (http://colon-cancer-treatment-cure.com)
www.nlm.nih.gov (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000262.htm)
en.wikipedia.org (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorectal_cancer)
www.cancer.gov (http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/colon-and-rectal)
medicinenet.com (http://www.medicinenet.com/colon_cancer/article.htm)
You or a family member have been diagnosed with colon cancer and you want to know what caused this cancer. Doctors Don't know the exact cause of colon cancer, but they do know it usually starts as small growths inside the colon, called polyps. These polyps may take years to grow large enough to be seen during a routine colonoscopy and then it takes several years for polyps to become cancerous.
Although the exact cause of colon cancer is unknown, there are several risk factors that can increase your chances of developing this cancer. A risk factor is something that can increase the chances of you developing cancer or other disease. Some risk factors such as age, can not be changed while others, such as food, can be modified and may reduce the risk. Risk factors for the range of colon cancer from age to hereditary diseases.
The first risk factor for colon cancer is most common. It is your age. About 90% of cases of colon cancer in people aged over 50. Many of these cases have no other risk factors, making this the most important factor in the development of this cancer. That's why many doctors suggest get a colonoscopy as part of your annual review from 50 years.
Another risk factor for developing colon cancer is your family medical history and any other's hereditary disease which may affect the development of colon polyps. If a member of your immediate family (parents, siblings or children) had colon cancer, you're more likely to develop. The risk depends on how many parents have had, how old they were when they were diagnosed and if the story spans multiple generations. This is considered a family history of colon cancer and may be caused by genetic mutations. These mutations are more common in certain ethnic groups such as Jews of Eastern European heritage. If this is your case, you may want to have a blood test to check all the genetic mutations.
These genetic changes can cause several conditions, such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), attenuated familial adenomatous polyposis (AFAP) and hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer (HNPCC). All these genetic conditions can develop into colon cancer if untreated. These conditions are rare and few people diagnosed with colon cancer actually have them.
Your medical history also contributes to your risk of developing colon cancer. The risk is higher if you had cancer in the past. Polyps large, even after the withdrawal, may increase your chances of developing colon cancer. There are also some diseases that may increase your risk of colon cancer, such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.
The final ? and easiest to change ? risk factors are diet, exercise and habits. A high-fat, high in calories and a diet high in protein has been shown to increase the chances of you developing colon cancer. This type of system may also contribute to another risk factor, weight. Lack of exercise also helps your own risk. You can minimize these three risk factors by making some simple changes like eating more fruits and vegetables and start exercising. These two changes will help you lose weight and improve your diet. Smoking and alcohol also contribute to the risk of colon cancer. Some studies have shown that smoking increases your chances of developing colon cancer. Alcoholics are also at increased risk of colon cancer because of their alcohol consumption. Studies have shown that drinking more than 2 drinks per day increases the risk of colon cancer.
Reference Site:
colon cancer treatment (http://colon-cancer-treatment-cure.com)
www.nlm.nih.gov (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000262.htm)
en.wikipedia.org (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorectal_cancer)
www.cancer.gov (http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/colon-and-rectal)
medicinenet.com (http://www.medicinenet.com/colon_cancer/article.htm)