What are some risk factors for colon cancer that you can avoid?
- Being overweight
- Maintaining an unhealthy diet
- Lack of exercise
- Smoking
- Alcohol use
When it comes to being at risk for serious illnesses or diseases, there are always factors you can avoid and those you can’t. The fact remains that some people are more likely to develop these diseases than others, but the good news is that being at risk doesn’t mean you will automatically contract the illnesses in your lifetime.
This month, we’re focusing on colon cancer or colorectal cancer. The risk factors for colon cancer are not incredibly unique, in the sense that they can also be risk factors for other kinds of cancer or other serious illnesses. The benefit of that commonality is that by avoiding one type of illness, you get to avoid the others.
Before discussing the risk factors you can avoid, let’s first gain some insight into what colon cancer is.
What is Colon Cancer?
Colon cancer cells form inside the large intestine. The majority of the large intestine, or roughly five feet of it, is called the colon while the last six inches or so are called the rectum. Cancers found in the two organs are often grouped together and simply referred to as colorectal cancer.
The typical progression of colorectal cancer is slow, often developing over several years. Starting as a small abnormal growth on the inner lining of the colon called a polyp, some of these polyps eventually become cancer cells. Once they have developed into cancer and if left untreated, they may spread throughout the body, most often also affecting the liver and lungs.
As with any kind of disease, the risk factors of colorectal cancer are a mix of things patients can and cannot avoid. So if you already have one or more unavoidable risk factors, like a family history of cancer or an inherited predisposition to the illness, the best thing to do is to avoid raising your chances further.
Let’s now take a look at the ways you can do that by studying the avoidable risk factors of colorectal cancer.
Being Overweight
If you are very overweight or obese, your risk of developing and dying from colorectal cancer is higher. Being obese makes you at risk for cancer in general. The American Cancer Society has found that obesity may be responsible for about 11% of cancers in women and 5% in men. Worse, about 7% of all cancer deaths may be caused by obesity as well.
Being overweight, however, is not something that happens immediately, nor is it something unchangeable. That’s why it belongs on this list—obesity is avoidable and reversible with the right diet and lifestyle.
Maintaining an Unhealthy Diet
Speaking of diets, keeping up an unhealthy one is another risk factor for colon cancer. Certain meats, in particular, have been shown to have adverse effects on the colon, and the digestive system in general.
A diet high in red meats like beef, pork, or liver raises your risk for colorectal cancer, as well as diets full of processed meats. Time to put the hotdogs and canned meats down and switch to something healthier—like fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and food rich in Vitamin D.
Some studies claim that cooking meats at very high temperatures like frying, boiling, or grilling emits chemicals that increase cancer risk. While this is still unproven, it can be damaging if you already have unavoidable risk factors in play.
Lack of Exercise
Another leading cause of obesity as well as a risk factor for colorectal cancer is a sedentary lifestyle. This one involves a lot of sitting or lying down, not moving around much, and not giving your body the exercise and action it needs. It’s been found that regular, moderate—or better yet, vigorous—physical activity plays a big role in lowering your cancer risk.
Smoking
If you’ve seen the government-mandated warning labels on cigarette boxes at your local grocery or sari-sari store, you likely already know that smoking has a lot of negative side effects on the body. One of the most serious possibilities is cancer.
Smoking causes cancer because chemicals from cigarettes damage our DNA. Some chemicals damage the parts in our DNA that protect against cancer, while others make it harder for cells to repair the damage. This damage to the cells can start from a person’s first inhale of cigarette smoke and worsen over time. The constant damage is what may then lead to various types of cancer.
Alcohol Use
Another vice that’s high on the list of risk factors is drinking. Moderate to heavy alcohol use has been linked to colorectal cancer, but even light to moderate intake creates some risk. If you have to, the recommended amount is no more than 2 drinks a day for men and 1 a day for women. Many kinds of cancer are influenced and caused by excessive alcohol intake, colorectal being one of them.
Key Takeaway
Risk factors for colon cancer aren’t all set in stone. About half of them are factors you can avoid. With the proper diet and lifestyle and no particularly excessive vices to speak of, you should be less at risk for colon cancer, as well as many other types of cancer, than those who don’t maintain these good habits.
And if you have a family history of colorectal or other types of cancer, all hope is not lost. Contact Perpetual Help Medical Center – Las Pinas for a consultation with some of the best doctors in Metro Manila, who can better explain how colorectal cancer works and what you can do to decrease your risk for it.
