Like most types of cancer, the most important thing you can do to reduce your risk is to stop smoking. Diet plays a big role in colon cancer risk. Eating a lot of red meat increases your risk. You can reduce your risk by eating a lot of fiber. Like fruits and vegetables.
If you are overweight or do not do physical activity every day, your risk of developing cancer is much higher than that of active people.
If you can do 20 minutes of moderate-level exercise a day, you can reduce your risk by up to 25 to 50%.
There are a number of ways to screen for colon cancer, but only a colonoscopy can help prevent cancer from occurring.
Colon cancer does not appear suddenly. It begins as small growths in the colon called polyps that rarely cause symptoms. If polyps are left over for years, they can grow into cancer.
The good news is that if a polyp is detected during a colonoscopy, it can usually be removed.
Once removed, it can no longer harm you, and the risk of developing cancer from this tumor is almost zero.
If you are 50 years old, it is time for a colonoscopy, and if everything seems fine and you do not have polyps, you will not need another colonoscopy for 10 years.
People with a history of colon cancer in their family are at higher risk and may need a colonoscopy at a younger age
While it is possible to get colorectal cancer without having symptoms, there are signs that can appear. If you see blood in your stool, you should definitely visit your doctor to have it checked.
There are many things other than cancer that can cause blood in the stool, but you should see your doctor to make sure everything is okay.
Other signs of colon cancer can include weight loss, changes in the number of bowel movements and changes in the shape of stool
