Colorectal cancer is one of the most preventable cancers, yet it’s still common – and deadly. It’s the second-leading cause of cancer deaths for men and women combined. However, healthy habits and routine screenings can help you identify colon cancer risk factors you might have and give you the time you need to work with your doctor to lower them.
Some risk factors are beyond your control, many are not. Make an appointment with a primary care provider to discuss how you can lower your risk for developing colorectal cancer.
What exactly is colorectal cancer?
Colorectal cancer occurs when abnormal cells grow in your rectum or colon. Your colon, also called the large intestine, is the final section of your digestive tract. Your rectum connects your colon to the anal canal that leads outside your body.
Abnormal cells come together to form growths called polyps. Most polyps are harmless, but some can grow and become cancerous. Caught early, colorectal cancer is highly treatable.
Rates of colorectal cancer have been declining in older adults for decades, largely due to improved screening. However, cases among adults younger than 50 have been rising – a trend that researchers are still working to fully understand.
Risk factors: What you can and cannot change
Some colon cancer risk factors are genetic, and you cannot change them. Others are tied to lifestyle choices that are within your control.
Risk factors you can change
- Diet: Diets high in red and processed meats and low in fiber are associated with higher colorectal cancer risk.
- Physical inactivity: A sedentary lifestyle increases your risk.
- Obesity: Excess body weight is linked to a greater chance of developing colorectal cancer.
- Smoking: Long-term tobacco use increases risk.
- Heavy alcohol use: Drinking heavily on a regular basis raises colorectal cancer risk.
- Type 2 diabetes: People with type 2 diabetes have a moderately elevated risk compared to those without it.
Risk factors you cannot change
- Age: Your risk rises significantly after age 45.
- Family history: Having a first-degree relative (parent, sibling or child) with colorectal cancer or advanced polyps raises your risk.
- Personal history: A prior diagnosis of colorectal cancer, polyps or inflammatory bowel disease (including Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis) increases your risk.
- Race and ethnicity: Black Americans are diagnosed with and die from colorectal cancer at higher rates than any other racial or ethnic group in the United States.
- Inherited syndromes: Conditions such as Lynch syndrome and familial adenomatous polyposis significantly elevate risk.
Lifestyle changes that lower your risk of colon cancer
Making changes to your daily habits is one of the most effective things you can do to reduce your colon cancer risk factors.
Eat a colon-friendly diet
A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains – all high in dietary fiber – supports colon health. Fiber helps move waste through the digestive tract more quickly, reducing the amount of time that potential carcinogens are in contact with the colon wall.
At the same time, limit your intake of red meat (beef, pork, lamb) and processed meats such as hot dogs, bacon and deli meats. Research consistently links high consumption of these foods to increased colorectal cancer risk.
A Mediterranean diet checks a lot of these boxes.
Get moving – and stay moving
Physical activity is one of the best ways to prevent colorectal cancer. For general cancer prevention, aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week — roughly 30 minutes a day, five days a week. That can be a brisk walk, a bike ride, a swim or whatever activity you will stick with consistently.
Maintain a healthy weight
Because obesity is independently linked to higher colorectal cancer risk, weight management matters. Diet and exercise together are the most sustainable path to a healthy body weight. If you need support, talk to your primary care provider about a referral to a registered dietitian or a weight management program.
Quit tobacco use and limit alcohol
Tobacco use raises the risk of multiple cancers, including colorectal cancer. If you smoke, vape or use it any other way, quitting is one of the highest-impact steps you can take for your long-term health.
Similarly, the American Cancer Society recommends avoiding or limiting alcohol to no more than one drink per day for women and two for men
Screening options for colorectal cancer
Screening is the single most powerful tool available for preventing colon cancer. It can detect precancerous cells and cancer early, when it is most treatable.
When should you start? Average-risk adults should begin colorectal cancer screening at age 45. If you have certain risk factors – including a family history of colorectal cancer or polyps, a personal history of inflammatory bowel disease or an inherited syndrome – your provider may recommend starting screenings earlier.
What are your screening options?
- Colonoscopy: The gold standard for colorectal cancer screening. A physician uses a thin, flexible tube with a small camera to view the entire colon. They can remove polyps during the same procedure. For those with normal results, a colonoscopy is typically repeated every 10 years.
- Stool-based tests: Less invasive options that can be done at home. The fecal immunochemical test (FIT) checks for blood in the stool and is recommended annually. The Cologuard test detects both blood and altered DNA in stool and is typically repeated every one to three years. A positive result on either test requires a follow-up colonoscopy.
- CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy): An imaging test that produces detailed pictures of the colon. Repeated every five years for those with normal results. A positive finding also requires a diagnostic colonoscopy.
The right test for you depends on your personal health history, risk factors and preferences. Talk to your health care provider about which option makes the most sense.
When to talk to your provider
Most early-stage colon cancer causes no symptoms at all — which is why waiting for warning signs before pursuing a screening is not a reliable strategy. That said, certain symptoms should prompt a conversation with your provider sooner rather than later.
Contact your primary care provider if you notice:
- Blood in your stool or very dark, tarry stools
- A persistent change in bowel habits, including diarrhea or constipation that lasts more than a few days
- Unexplained abdominal pain, cramping or discomfort
- A feeling that your bowel does not fully empty
- Unexplained weight loss or fatigue
These symptoms do not necessarily mean you have cancer. Many have more common, benign causes. However, they are always worth discussing with a provider. Early evaluation gives you the best possible options.
How we can help
You have the power to lower your risk of developing colorectal cancer by practicing healthy habits and staying current with recommended screenings. Better treatment, early detection and prevention are all critical.
Whether you are due for a colonoscopy, want to understand your personal risk or are ready to take a more active role in your preventive care, start by making an appointment with your primary care provider.
Learn more about colorectal cancer as well as the primary care services we provide.
