What Causes Colon Cancer?

It would be so wonderful if we knew what causes colon cancer. Even though the cause is not known, we do know the risk factors involved. There are several factors that you need to be aware of which will reduce your risk of not only developing colon cancer, but other cancers as well.

Some of the risk factors that will be among the causes are age. The older you are, the higher the risk of developing colon cancer. This is a risk that you can’t change no matter how hard you or I try, however, there are some risk factors that we can change or modify, such as your diet.

We can’t change what causes colon cancer, but we can become educated regarding this disease regarding the age range for this cancer to the way it affects us genetically. First, let’s talk about the age factor. Colon cancer is most prevalent in people over the age of 50, making up about 90% of all reported cases. There may not be any other risk factor involved other than their age alone. This is the reason so many doctors are stressing that we all have a colonoscopy after the age of 50.

As research is being done on genetics, we are finding out more and more how a family’s medical history and hereditary diseases affect the chances of developing colon cancer. If there are members in your family who have had colon polyps, the odds are that you will too. This risk can span generations, which will be important to find out this information.

There are some genetic medical changes that can develop into colon cancer and they are:
1.Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP)
2.Attenuated Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (AFAP)
3.Hereditary Nonpolyposis Colon Cancer (HNPCC)

These genetic conditions, if left untreated, can develop into colon cancer. These are not common, but there are a few that have been diagnosed with this genetic disorder.

Your own medical history will determine what causes colon cancer for you. Have you ever had cancer in the past, or have you ever had polyps removed? Even after having these removed, your chances go up. If you have Crohns disease or Colitis, then your risk is even greater.

What causes colon cancer? The answer is ignorance. Ignoring symptoms, ignoring the information being taught about a healthy diet, ignoring the advice given by your doctor to be checked regularly. Don’t let ignorance take your life.