Colon and Rectal Cancers - Risk Factors

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Other Risk Factors

Polyps. Polyps are tissue growths, usually benign, that develop in the color or rectum, most often in patients over 50 years of age. When pathologists examine polyps removed from the colon, they classify them as either hyperplastic or adenomatous. Both types are benign, but some adenomas will become malignant. As a preventive measure, polyps should be removed (polypectomy).

Ureterosigmoidostomy. People who have had ureterosigmoidostomy, a surgical procedure to correct a birth defect in the bladder or to treat some bladder cancers, may develop tumors near the site of the defect, which is chronically exposed to urine and feces. Such patients have a 5 - 10% chance of developing colon cancer 15 - 30 years after the operation.

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Diabetes. Many studies have identified an association between type 2 diabetes and colon cancer. Both diseases share common risk factors of obesity and physical inactivity, but diabetes itself is a risk factor for colorectal cancer. Data from a case control study of 50,000 U.S. veterans presented at the 2004 Digestive Disease Week conference found that patients with diabetes were 32 percent more likely to develop colon cancer than similar patients who did not have diabetes. Both men and women who have diabetes are at risk.

Heart Disease. Coronary artery disease (CAD) increases the risk for colorectal cancer. Both CAD and colorectal cancer share important risk factors, including smoking, high fat diet, sedentary lifestyle, and obesity.

Review Date: 03/06/2007
Reviewed By: A.D.A.M. Editorial Team: Greg Juhn, M.T.P.W., David R. Eltz, Kelli A. Stacy. Previously reviewed by Harvey Simon, M.D., Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital (9/1/2006).

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).