Colon cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the large intestine. This type of cancer commonly affects adults although it can occur at any age. It usually starts as a tiny noncancerous clump of cells known as polyps that form on the inside of the colon. There exist several factors that influence colon cancer. Some of the factors are lifestyle-related and others occur because of one reason or the other. One of the lifestyle-related factors of cancer is being overweight or obese (Giovannucci, 2013). Being overweight increases the risk of colon cancer in both men and women, but this connection is stronger in men as compared to women. Physical inactivity is another factor that influences colon cancer. Individuals that are not physically active are likely to develop colon cancer. Therefore, being more active can lower the risk of cancer.
Another lifestyle-related factor of cancer is smoking. Individuals that have smoked tobacco for a long time are likely to develop and die of colon cancer than non-smokers. The lifestyle-related factors can be changed if a person decides to live a healthy lifestyle. Apart from lifestyle-related factors, being older is a factor that influences colon cancer. The risk of having colon cancer rises as someone ages. According to Rafter et al (2017), young adults can get colon cancer but it is more prevalent after the age of 50. Having a previous history of colon polyps increases the risk of developing colon cancer. This particularly occurs if there are many polyps or the polyps are large.
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A history of inflammatory bowel disease is another factor that influences colon cancer. An individual that possesses inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) such as ulcerative colitis has a higher risk of developing colon cancer. IBD is a condition in which the colon is inflamed for a long period. Possessing an inherited syndrome is another factor that influences colon cancer prevalence (Thun et al., 2012). Most individuals that develop colon cancer have inherited gene changes that cause family cancer syndromes. Lynch syndrome and familial adenomatous polyposis increase colon cancer risk. To prevent colon cancer prevalence, it is important for people to observe a healthy lifestyle and seek medical attention as earlier as possible.
References
Giovannucci, E. (2013). Modifiable risk factors for colon cancer. Gastroenterology Clinics of North America , 31 (4), 925-943.
Rafter, J., Bennett, M., Caderni, G., Clune, Y., Hughes, R., Karlsson, P. C., ... & Rechkemmer, G. (2017). Dietary synbiotics reduce cancer risk factors in polypectomized and colon cancer patients. The American journal of clinical nutrition , 85 (2), 488-496.
Thun, M. J., Calle, E. E., Namboodiri, M. M., Flanders, W. D., Coates, R. J., Byers, T., ... & Heath Jr, C. W. (2012). Risk factors for fatal colon cancer in a large prospective study. JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute , 84 (19), 1491-1500.
