Colon cancer has had the benefit of several research breakthroughs in the last few years, especially when it comes to determining some of the things that can be the cause or a contributing factor to causing cancer. The bad news is that there are several causes of colon cancer that a huge percentage of the population can check off the list as putting them at risk. Knowing them though can be a huge factor in changing the way you eat and live to better protect yourself from continuing with an unhealthy lifestyle choice. In addition, knowing what to watch for when it comes to colon cancer can also be crucial in a patient's chance of getting an early diagnosis or even going to see a doctor in the first place.
Some of the biggest causes of cancer are items that you have no control over and just have to watch, such as age. Age is one of the highest causes of colon cancer, and as you age your risk of getting colon cancer increases. This is partly because your chance of developing polyps is greater, but also because some of the nutritional and lifestyle choices you make on a daily basis have more of an effect on you and your overall health as time progresses. Other factors that can determine whether or not you are at a greater risk of getting colon cancer, but are not lifestyle choices include gender, genetics and family history. If your family has a history of colon cancer, you might want to be a little more vigilant in avoiding some of the known causes and getting regular checkups.
As far as lifestyle choices that cause cancer go, there are several. Two of the biggest habits that can be cut out with some work and dedication are smoking and alcohol. Both smoking and cancer have been the topic of much research that has gone into the study of colorectal cancer and it was found that when drinking it depends on how much an individual consumes, how often they consume and they type of alcohol they are consuming. In the case of smoking, smoking in general is not good for those who are at risk of developing colon cancer and a large part of it has to do with research that has shown that smoking deposits carcinogens in the colon and increase polyp size.
These examples are some of the biggest causes of cancer, and even though some are not able to be helped, the latter two causes can be dealt with if a patient wants to cut out that risk. In general it is a good idea to get an annual colonoscopy to determine if you are at risk for developing cancer, but some major symptoms to watch for include fatigue, anemia and weight loss. Bleeding in the stool is also a big indicator and a fecal occult blood test can be given to determine if this is caused because of colon cancer or something else entirely.
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