Tips for Reducing Risk of Colorectal Cancer
Blue Daily
| 2 min read
Colorectal cancer starts in the colon or the rectum. These cancers can also be called colon cancer or rectal cancer, depending on where they start.
Colon cancer and rectal cancer are often grouped together because they have many features in common. More than 150,000 people will be diagnosed with colon and rectal cancer each year, according to the American Cancer Society.
Here is what to know about reducing the risk of colorectal cancer.
Cancer screenings
Prevention is key. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that adults ages 45 to 75 be screened for colorectal cancer. The colonoscopy is the gold standard screening for colorectal cancers.
Individuals with a family history of colorectal cancer are at higher risk and may need to be screened earlier. If you have a family history of colon or rectal cancer, talk to your primary care provider.
Habits and lifestyle changes
Here are a few things you can do to lower your risk of colorectal cancer:
- Manage your weight: Being overweight or obese increases the risk of colorectal cancers in both men and women, according to the National Cancer Institute. Maintaining a healthy weight may help lower your risk.
- Daily physical activity: Engage in 30 to 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise every day. Sitting less, moving more and increasing the intensity of your physical activity may help reduce your risk.
- Eat a balanced diet: Limiting red and processed meats and eating more vegetables, fruits and whole grains may help lower your risk.
- Quit smoking: Long-term smoking is linked to increased risk of many cancers and health concerns, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Quitting smoking may help lower your risk.
- Reduce or avoid alcohol: Heavy alcohol intake has been found to increase cancer risk. Women shouldn’t have more than one drink per day, and men should not have more than two drinks per day. Not drinking alcohol at all may help reduce your risk.
Learn more about colorectal cancer prevention in this Blue Cross Virtual Well-Being℠ webinar, Dr. Gwendolyn Parker Discusses Colorectal Cancer. You can also sign up for future employer- or individual-focused webinars and guided meditations here.
Photo credit: Getty Images
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