Colon Cancer Symptoms and Stages

10. Risk factors for colon cancer

Beyond a family history of colorectal cancer and being over 50 years old, certain risk factors increase the odds that you may develop colon cancer. If you've had colon polyps or bowel diseases in the past, are ethnically African or Ashkenazi Jewish, or have a genetic syndrome like familial adenomatous polyposis, you may need to have regular screenings, and from an earlier age.

Researchers are not entirely sure what has caused the rapid increase in colon cancer among young people. It could be a combination of poor diet, binge drinking, smoking, sedentary lifestyles, medications that alter the gut microbiome, and exposure to toxins such as 'forever chemicals.' More research is needed on the subject.