Colorectal Cancer Prevention

And yet many colorectal cancers are avoidable. In fact, more than half (55%) can be traced back to lifestyle choices, including unhealthy diet, inadequate physical activity, smoking and drinking alcohol in excess. Because of the prevention research pioneered at Winship and other National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, there are colorectal cancer prevention guidelines you can follow to help you avoid the disease.

• Age. About 90% of colorectal cancers are diagnosed in patients 50 and older, although cases in 20- to 49-year-olds have been on the rise in recent years.
• Sex. Males are 60% more likely to develop rectal cancer and 20% more likely to develop colon cancer in their lifetime compared with females.
• Family history of colorectal cancer. Having a first-degree relative (mother, father, sister, brother, child) with colorectal cancer doubles a person’s risk for developing the disease.
• Personal history of colorectal cancer. Having colorectal cancer once makes a person more likely to have it again. Being diagnosed with high-risk colorectal polyps, uterine cancer and inflammatory bowel disease raise a person’s risk, too.
• Inherited traits. Having certain genetic conditions, such as Lynch syndrome and familial adenomatous polyposis, increase a person’s risk for colorectal cancer.
• Heavy alcohol use. Risk increases for those who drink an average of three or more alcoholic beverages per day.
• Smoking. People who smoke are not only more likely to develop colorectal cancer than non-smokers but are also more likely to experience recurrence and for their colorectal cancer to be fatal.
• Race. Being Black increases a person’s risk for developing colorectal cancer by about 20% as compared with whites. Black people have an increased risk of death from colorectal cancer compared to other races.
• Obesity. Having a body mass index of 30 or greater increases risk for colorectal cancer similar to heavy drinking.

While there’s nothing you can do to change your age, sex, race, family history and inherited traits, you still can reduce your risk for developing colorectal cancer. Based on Winship-led research, along with findings from other NCI-designated cancer centers, NCI recommends the following colorectal cancer prevention guidelines:

• Not smoking
• Drinking in moderation or not at all
• Maintaining a body mass index below 25
• Being physically active every day
• Taking a daily aspirin, which also helps to prevent colorectal cancer in those at risk for cardiovascular disease (not for people at high risk for stroke and those with bleeding disorders)
• Regular screening with colonoscopy and polyp removal, starting at age 45, and 35 for those with a first-degree relative who has received a diagnosis of colorectal cancer

While new treatments are often the focus of cancer research studies, it’s also necessary to conduct research to help inform colorectal cancer prevention guidelines. That’s why Winship has initiated or collaborated on numerous clinical trials over the years aimed at understanding how and why colorectal cancer develops and what can be done to prevent it. We also are highly dedicated to studying how to prevent colorectal cancer from recurring.

Examples of prevention-related research conducted at Winship include the following:

• The effect certain chemotherapy drugs have on reducing patients’ risk of colorectal cancer recurrence.
• How the genomic makeup of individuals diagnosed with colorectal cancer prior to age 50 differs from older patients.
• Whether or not fiber-rich foods are effective at treating obesity and preventing colorectal cancer.