How to Reduce the Risk of Colorectal Cancer

According to a recent American Cancer Society research, colorectal cancer or colon cancer is increasingly affecting younger people.

There are many ways to lower your risk of colorectal cancer, from maintaining a healthy weight and staying active to cutting back on processed meat intake and scheduling regular screenings. Age, family history, and a few genetic syndromes or chronic diseases remain non-modifiable risk factors for the disease, but there are six tested ways for anyone to reduce their risk.

Risk Factors of Colorectal Cancer

Some of the risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing colorectal cancer include:

Age: The risk of colorectal cancer increases with age, particularly after the age of 50.
Family history: Having a first-degree relative (parent, sibling, or child) with colon cancer increases the risk.
Personal history of colorectal polyps or cancer: People who have had colorectal polyps or cancer are at higher risk of developing the disease.
Obesity: Being overweight or obese may increase the risk of colon cancer.
Lack of physical activity: People who are physically inactive have a higher risk of developing colon cancer.
Smoking and alcohol: Tobacco use and excessive alcohol consumption have been linked to an increased risk of colorectal cancer.
Diabetes: People with diabetes may have a higher risk of colorectal cancer.

Diagnosing Colon Cancer

Several tests can be used to diagnose colon cancer, including:

Colonoscopy: This is a procedure in which a thin, flexible tube with a camera on the end is inserted into the rectum to examine the colon. If any polyps or suspicious areas are found, a biopsy can be taken for further testing.
Fecal occult blood test: This is a test that checks for blood in the stool, which can be a sign of colon cancer. It involves collecting a small sample of stool and sending it to a lab for analysis.
Virtual colonoscopy: This is a non-invasive imaging test that uses a CT scan to create a 3D image of the colon. It can be used to look for polyps and other abnormalities.
Flexible sigmoidoscopy: This is a procedure similar to a colonoscopy, but it only examines the lower part of the colon.
Double-contrast barium enema: This is an imaging test that involves filling the colon with a contrast dye and taking X-rays to look for abnormalities

How to Reduce Your Colorectal Cancer Risk

Evaluate yourself

If you are at average risk of developing the disease, getting routine screenings, starting at age 45, is the most efficient way to reduce your risk of colon cancer.

The majority of colon cancers start as abnormal growths called precancerous polyps in the colon or rectum. To successfully remove these polyps before they develop into invasive cancer, colorectal cancer screening can help. Additionally, screenings can identify cancer when it is still treatable at an earlier stage.

Colorectal cancer screenings can be done annually, every three years, every five years, or every ten years, depending on the type you select. This lasts until the age of 75, at which point, individuals can talk to their healthcare professionals about whether colonoscopies are still required.

Understand your family’s health history

Several tests can be used to diagnose colon cancer (cottonbro studio/ Pexels)

Although you cannot change your personal or family history of colorectal cancer, being aware of this history can help you assess your own risk.

According to Andrea Dwyer, BS, co-director of the University of Colorado Cancer Center's Colorado Cancer Screening Program, if there have been numerous cancer diagnoses in your family—not just colorectal cancer but also other types like breast cancer, uterine cancer, or prostate cancer—you might want to think about genetic testing.

Limit Processed and Red Meats

It has long been known that eating red meat and processed meat, such as hamburgers, hot dogs, and sausages, increases the risk of colorectal cancer. According to some estimates, eating red meat and processed meat can raise the risk of colorectal cancer by 20% to 30%.

While you don't have to completely eliminate red meat from your diet, it is advised that you choose high-quality meats and replace red, processed meats with leaner white meats like chicken or pork.

Avoid drinking and smoking

Smoking cigarettes can cause cancer almost anywhere in the body, including the colon and rectum, despite its well-known link to lung cancer. Cigarette smoke contains a poison that not only alters and damages cell DNA, which can cause cancer, but also weakens the immune system, making it more challenging for the body to eradicate cancer cells.

Smoking cigarettes can cause cancer almost anywhere in the body (Irina Iriser/ Pexels)

According to studies done on mice, cigarette smoking may also affect the gut microbiome because it impairs the function of the gut barrier and encourages cancer and inflammation-causing pathways in the digestive system.

Keep a healthy weight

People who are obese have a higher risk of developing various cancers. In particular, they have a 1.3-fold higher risk of colon cancer than those who are not obese. Despite the fact that the BMI (body mass index) is an unreliable indicator of health, young adults with a BMI over 30—who are technically considered obese—may have a higher risk of developing colon cancer sooner than those with a lower BMI.

Obesity can lead to a number of physiological changes in the body, including long-lasting inflammation, elevated insulin and insulin-like growth factor levels. These changes may help create the right conditions for cancer to grow.

According to Dr. Bilchik, maintaining a healthy weight is widely thought to help reduce your risk of developing various types of cancer.

Exercise consistently

Strong evidence suggests that being physically active reduces the risk of developing several cancers, including colon cancer.

The 7% reduction in cancer risk has been linked to the current WHO recommendations for physical activity, which call for at least 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity or 1.25 hours of high-intensity activity per week, primarily for breast and colorectal cancer.

By potentially inhibiting tumor growth, boosting immune function, lowering oxidative stress, and restoring damaged cells, physical activity can help lower the risk of several cancer types, including colon cancer.

Edited by Susrita Das