Key Highlights
- While rates are declining overall, cases among younger people are rising.“This is a curable cancer if diagnosed early,” says Dr Deirdre Cohen, director of the gastrointestinal oncology program for the Mount Sinai health system and an associate professor of medicine.
- “It’s important to bring any symptoms to the attention of your physician.”Here’s what you need to know about colorectal cancer. What is colorectal cancer?Colorectal cancer is an umbrella term for colon and rectal cancers, though these individual cancers are treated differently.
- The colon and rectum are parts of the large intestine, with the rectum positioned at the end of the colon. In some cases, cancer appears in both locations, says Dr Derek Ebner, a gastroenterologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Is colorectal cancer preventable?There’s no way to guarantee the prevention of colorectal cancer, and it can be a random event, says Cohen.
- But avoiding smoking and heavy alcohol use can reduce your risk. She also emphasizes the importance of a healthy diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables, and avoiding processed meats like hot dogs and bacon. According to the American Cancer Society, high consumption of red meat is also linked to a higher risk of colorectal cancer.
- A 2024 study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention found that people with the highest level of red meat intake had a 30% increased risk for colorectal cancer.
