Some risk factors for cancer can be avoided, but many cannot. For example, both smoking and inheriting certain genes are risk factors for some types of cancer, but only smoking can be avoided. Regular exercise and a healthy diet may be protective factors for some types of cancer. Avoiding risk factors and increasing protective factors may lower your risk, but it does not mean that you will not get cancer.

Different ways to prevent cancer are being studied, including:

• Changing lifestyle or eating habits.
• Avoiding things known to cause cancer.
• Taking medicines to treat a precancerous condition or to keep cancer from starting.

Avoiding risk factors and increasing protective factors may help prevent cancer.

Avoiding cancer risk factors such as smoking, being overweight, and lack of exercise may help prevent certain cancers. Increasing protective factors such as quitting smoking, eating a healthy diet, and exercising may also help prevent some cancers. Talk to your doctor or other health care professional about how you might lower your risk of cancer.

The following risk factors may increase the risk of colorectal cancer:

Age

The risk of colorectal cancer begins to increase after age 40 and continues to increase as you get older.

Obesity and lack of exercise

Obesity is linked to an increased risk of colorectal cancer. A lifestyle that does not include regular exercise may also be linked to an increased risk of colorectal cancer.

Smoking

Smoking cigarettes is linked to an increased risk of developing colorectal adenomas (noncancerous tumors) and colorectal cancer. Cigarette smokers who have had surgery to remove colorectal adenomas have an increased risk for the adenomas to recur (come back).

Alcohol

Drinking alcoholic beverages may increase the risk of colorectal cancer

Source: National Cancer Institute www.cancer.gov