What is Colon Cancer?

What is colon cancer? This cancer is one of the most prevalent and lethal cancers in the world today.

The Colon and Your Health

When abnormal cells begin to develop in the body, they can turn into cancerous growths. The slightest mutation in the cells’ DNA structure will create a chain of events which can lead to tumors and polyps in the colon. Normally, colon polyps are not dangerous, but when the cells begin to grow abnormally, they will then begin to grow larger in the body, cutting off the digestive process. If these polyps are found when they are not cancerous, then they can be removed and the cancer may not spread.

In some cases, however, there may be a large number of polyps in the colon, though this is a rarity. This is called FAP, or familiar adenomatous polyposis.

Who’s at Risk of Colon Cancer?

While heredity certainly plays a role in the development of colon cancer and other cancers, this is not the only possible risk factor. Here are the other common risk factors for colon cancer:

• Being over the age of 50.
• Being African American.
• Those who are diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease or ulcerative colitis.
• Having already had colon cancer.
• Low fiber, high fat diet.
• Obesity.
• Smoking.
• Alcohol consumption.
• Radiation therapy for other cancers.
• Sedentary lifestyle.
• Diabetes.

If you already have a number of these risk factors, it might be a good idea to make changes to help prevent colon cancer. Even those with a genetic background of cancer can help reduce their risk of being diagnosed with cancer.