Common stomach ailments or a change in bowel habits happen to everyone from time to time. They don’t always mean that you have a serious condition like colorectal cancer, but it’s important to know the symptoms. Contact your provider when symptoms persist or if you experience more than one at a time.
All signs and symptoms
Screening is the single most effective thing you can do to prevent colon cancer. Colonoscopy can find and remove precancerous polyps before they ever become cancer, and other screening methods can catch cancer at its earliest, most treatable stage. Average-risk adults should start screening at age 45. If you have a family history or a known genetic risk, you may need to start earlier.
Explore your screening options
Up to 25% of colorectal cancer patients have a family member with the disease. If you have a first-degree relative (parent, sibling, or child) who was diagnosed with colon or rectal cancer, you should start screening 10 years before the age they were diagnosed. Building your family history of colon cancer is as simple as having a conversation. Ask relatives what type of cancer they had, how old they were at diagnosis, and whether they had colon polyps.
Understand your family history
Some colon cancer risk is inherited. Conditions like Lynch syndrome, Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP), and MUTYH-Associated Polyposis (MAP) can significantly raise your lifetime risk and often call for earlier or more frequent screening. A genetic counselor can evaluate your family history, recommend testing if appropriate, and help you understand what the results mean for you and your relatives. Learn about hereditary cancer syndromes in depth.
Learn about genetic testing
Colon and rectal cancer rates are declining in adults 50 and older, but rising in adults under 50. Younger patients are often misdiagnosed or dismissed at first, which means the disease is caught later and is harder to treat. Age is a risk factor, and being young does not protect you. If something feels wrong with your body, bring it up with your doctor as soon as possible.
Read why age isn't a factor
While you can’t change your age or your genes, you can change your daily habits. Maintain a healthy weight, get regular physical activity, and eat a diet high in fiber, fruits, and vegetables while limiting red and processed meats. Limit alcohol and don’t smoke or vape. None of these guarantee prevention on their own, but together they can help lower your risk.
Get the full list of ways to reduce your riskColon cancer prevention raises a lot of questions, especially around family history and genetics. Here are answers to the ones we hear most often.
That’s common. Talk to extended family like aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents, not just parents and siblings. If gaps remain, death certificates and medical records can help fill them in. A genetic counselor can also help piece together a more complete picture and provide a more accurate risk assessment.
No, but some types can develop into cancer over time if not removed. A personal or family history of certain polyp types raises your risk, which is part of why colonoscopy is so effective. It removes polyps before they have the chance to become cancerous.
Yes. Inflammatory bowel diseases like ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are linked to increased colon cancer risk. A personal history of ovarian, breast, or endometrial cancer can also raise the likelihood of developing colorectal cancer.
Early-stage colon cancer often has no symptoms at all, which is part of why screening matters even when you feel fine. If you do notice something like blood in your stool or a change in bowel habits, don’t dismiss it as age or lifestyle. Talk to a doctor, and seek a second opinion if you feel your concerns aren’t being taken seriously. Read more about the signs and symptoms of colon cancer.
Not necessarily. One relative diagnosed after age 60 usually isn’t a strong sign of inherited risk. What matters more is a diagnosis before age 50, multiple relatives with the disease, multiple cancers in one person, or a large number of colon polyps. If any of those apply to your family, it’s worth talking to a genetic counselor.
A few changes make a meaningful difference. Eat more fiber-rich foods like whole grains, aim for five or more servings of vegetables and fruits a day, and limit red and processed meats. Choose foods low in saturated fat, and include folate-rich foods like kale and other dark leafy greens. Staying active, even with something as simple as walking or gardening for 20 minutes a few times a week, helps lower risk. Limit alcohol and don’t smoke or vape. None of these guarantee prevention on their own, but combined with regular screening, they meaningfully lower your risk.
No. A genetic mutation means increased risk, not certainty. Not everyone with a hereditary cancer gene develops cancer, and science is still identifying new genes linked to colorectal cancer risk. A positive result is meant to guide earlier or more frequent screening and prevention, not to predict an outcome.
