According to the National Cancer Institute, colorectal cancer is the third most

common cancer in U.S. men, and the second most common cancer in U.S. women of Hispanic, American Indian/Alaska native, or Asian/Pacific Islander ancestry, and the third most common cancer in white and African American women. In the United States, 1 in 17 people will develop colorectal cancer. Deaths from colorectal cancer rank third after lung and prostate cancer for men and third after lung and breast cancer for women. These statistics may sound frightening, but if you are at risk for colon cancer, which your physician or Los Angeles gastroenterologist can determine based on a number of different factors like gender, age, weight, family history, etc, and you get screened regularly your chances of catching, treating, and reversing the presence of colon cancer greatly increases.

Most colorectal cancers arise from adenomatous polyps?clusters of abnormal cells in the glands covering the inner wall of the colon. Over time, these abnormal growths enlarge and ultimately degenerate to become adenocarcinomas.

People with any of several conditions known as adenomatous polyposis syndromes have a greater-than-normal risk of colorectal cancer. Adenomatous polpyosis syndromes tend to run in familes, and have higher instances of rectal and colon polyps which ultimately lead to colon cancer before the age of 40.

Another group of colon cancer syndromes, termed hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) syndromes, also run in families. In these syndromes, colon cancer develops without the precursor polyps, but can be identified through genetic screening, which is a form of colon cancer prevention Los Angeles, although HNPCC syndromes are sometimes linked to tumors in other parts of the body.

Studies show that those with a family history of colon, breast, uttering, or ovarian cancer, or suffer from Crohn colitis (Crohn disesase) are at a higher risk for developing colon cancer. Diet, obesity, smoking and drug effects all play a part in increased risk factors for colon cancer. A Los Angeles colonoscopy is recommended once a year as a colon cancer screening mostly for men over the age of 40 who are at an increased risk for colorectal cancer.