There are numerous reasons why some people get cancer and others do not
despite leading similar lifestyles. In general, the is a lower risk of bowel
cancer, and all cancers, in populations who eat more
fresh fruit and vegetables, exercise regularly, avoiding excessive meat intake,
dietary chemical, smoking, industrial chemicals and radiation. Nevertheless many
people with this lifestyle may develop cancer, probably due to a vulnerability
in their genetic makeup or even factors still unknown to medical scientists.
What causes cancer: Within
each cell, in the human body, lies strips of DNA containing millions of
genes. Some of these genes cause cancer but are
kept from mischief by other genes which lie next to them on the same strip of
DNA. These good genes, called tumour suppresser genes, guard the body
from the bad cancer genes. Essentially we were born with the tendency to
get cancer. How well our good genes (tumour suppressor genes) lock our bad genes
depends on our individual genetic makeup (the cards we were dealt).
Certain factors in our environment can damage our DNA and split the suppressor
genes from the cancer genes allowing cancer to develop. For bowel cancer these
consist of:
- Age: the
older you get, the more likely you become to develop bowel cancer. It is
usual that patients diagnosed with bowel cancer are over the age of 50.
- Diet:
recent studies suggest a link between colorectal cancer and diet high in fat
(especially animal), red and processed meats, proteins; diet low in fruits,
vegetables and fibre in general increases the risk of developing bowel
cancer as well
- Alcohol:
excessive intake of alcohol increases the risk of colorectal cancer
- Smoking: people who smoke are more
likely to develop many types of cancer including bowel cancer
- Lack of physical activity: if you do
not exercise, you are at a greater risk of becoming ill
- Obesity:
being overweight is a risk factor for many cancer types, bowel cancer is not
an exception
- Ethnicity:
recent studies suggest that Askhenazi Jews have a higher rate of colorectal
cancer
- Personal and/or family history: people
with a personal history of colorectal polyps or cancer are at greater risk
of getting bowel cancer. A personal history of chronic inflammatory bowel
disease (IBD) sometimes leads to malignancy as well. Irritable bowel
syndrome (IBS) is a different condition which does not carry an increased
risk of bowel cancer. Some people were born with an increased genetic
susceptibility to bowel cancer or inherited this genetic disposition from
their family members. There is always an increased likelihood of developing
a cancer if it "runs" in the family - especially if the first
degree relatives (parent, brother or sister, child) became ill before the
age of 60. People with strong family history of colorectal cancer should
start testing and screening for bowel cancer well before the age of 50.
- Diabetes:
people with the diagnosis of diabetes are more likely to become affected by
bowel cancer
- Colitis: People with inflammatory bowel conditions such as
ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are at increased risk of bowel
cancer.
Further general information Your doctors and specialist nurses are in an ideal position to
give you relevant information on your disease and treatment as they know your
individual circumstances. Cancerbackup
has a help line (0808 800 1234) and a prize
winning video available in English, Italian, Urdu, Bengali, Gujarati
& Hindi explaining Radiotherapy & Chemotherapy. Cancernet.co.uk
has over 500 pages describing cancer, its management, practical tips and tool
which patients, their carers and their doctors have found helpful during the
cancer journey.
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