Gastrointestinal (GI) Oncology

Patient and Family Education

The following factors may increase a person's chance of developing colon cancer:

Age: Most people who have colon cancer are over age fifty, although the disease can affect a person at any age.
Diet: Colon cancer is associated with a diet that is high in fat and calories and low in fiber.
Polyps: Benign (noncancerous) growths on the wall of the colon are common in people over the age of fifty and are believed to lead to colon cancer.
Personal history: People who have had colorectal cancer before and women who have had ovarian, uterine, or breast cancer are at a slightly increased risk of getting colon cancer.
Family history: People with first-degree relatives who have had colon cancer are at an increased risk for colon cancer. Abnormal genes have been found in patients with some forms of colon and rectal cancer, and tests are being developed to determine who carries these genes long before cancer appears.
Ulcerative colitis: People who have ulcerative colitis, inflammation of the lining of the colon, have an increased risk for colon cancer.

This page was last updated on: September 23, 2009.