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Colon Cancer Causes?
Colon cancer causes? What is the etiology of colon cancer? The article linked below provides a thorough overview of what can cause colon cancer.
To be honest, I’m really wondering what caused my colon cancer??? I guess that most everyone who is diagnosed with some type of cancer wonders how they got it…
I hate to say it, but I’ll never know what caused my colon cancer. But I should study the possible causes of CRC to try to prevent my CRC from relapsing.
I was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2025. I had surgery to remove the tumor, and I’m working through possible therapies that I might also undergo going forward. I don’t know if I’m going to do adjuvant chemo. I’m working with PeopleBeatingCancer to try to figure out possible therapies, side effects, etc.
I thought the video linked below was a good, basic explanation of CRC.
Cancer 101: Colon Cancer Symptoms, Survival Rate & More
I still have lots to learn about possible colon cancer causes. The list below doesn’t really help me much.
Are you a CRC survivor? What symptoms did you have? What do you think caused your CRC? Scroll down the page to post a comment and I’ll reply to you ASAP.
Thanks,
- Bernie Davis
- Colon Cancer Survivor
Colon Cancer-Etiology
Colorectal cancer is a multifactorial disease process. Genetic factors, environmental exposures (including diet), and inflammatory conditions of digestive tract are all involved in the development of colorectal cancer.
Genetic factors
Although much about colorectal cancer genetics remains unknown, current research indicates that genetic factors have the greatest correlation to colorectal cancer. Hereditary mutation of the APC gene is the cause of familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), in which affected individuals carry an almost 100% risk of developing colon cancer by age 40 years.
Hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer syndrome (HNPCC, Lynch syndrome) poses about a 40% lifetime risk for developing colorectal cancer; individuals with this syndrome are also at increased risk for urothelial cancer, endometrial cancer, and other less common cancers…
Serrated polyposis syndrome (SPS) is a disorder in which multiple polyps develop in the colon and rectum. The polyps can be hyperplastic polyps, serrated serrated lesions, or traditional serrated adenomas. Individuals with SPS are at high risk for developing colorectal cancer. Some cases of SPS involve germline mutations in the RNF43 gene, but otherwise no clear genetic cause has been identified. Epigenetic and environmental factors, especially smoking, may contribute. [11, 12]…
Dietary and other factors
Dietary factors are the subject of intense and ongoing investigations. [14] Epidemiologic studies have linked increased risk of colorectal cancer with
- a diet high in red meat and animal fat,
- low-fiber diets,
- and low overall intake of fruits and vegetables. [15]
A study by Aune et al found that a high intake of fiber was associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer. In particular, cereal fiber and whole grains were found to be effective. [16] A study by Pala et al found that high yogurt intake was also associated with a decreased risk for colorectal cancer. [17]
A cohort study by Tabung et al that followed 121,050 adults for 26 years found that in both men and women, intake of proinflammatory diets (replete in red, processed, and organ meat, for example) was associated with a significantly higher risk of developing colorectal cancer. Risk was especially high in overweight and obese men and, paradoxically, in lean women. [18]
The Multiethnic Cohort Study, conducted in 79,952 men and 93,475 women, reported that in men, but not in women, greater adherence to plant-based diets rich in healthy plant foods is associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer. In men, the strength of the association varied by race and ethnicity: the inverse association of overall plant-based diet with colorectal cancer risk was greater in Japanese American, Native Hawaiian, and White men than in African American and Latino groups. [19]
In high-income countries such as the United States, ultra-processed foods (UPFs) provide more than half of the total dietary energy. UPFs contain ingredients that are mostly of exclusive industrial use, and they are typically high-energy-dense products that are high in sugar, unhealthy fats, and salt, and low in dietary fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals. [20] A systematic review and meta-analysis of UPF consumption and gastrointestinal cancer risk found that, compared with the lowest UPF consumption, the highest UPF consumption was significantly associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer (hazard ratio 1.11). [21]
Excessive consumption of beverages sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is associated with increased risk of colorectal cancer. In a study of adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) mutant mice, which are predisposed to develop intestinal tumors, daily administration of 20 g of weight-adjusted HFCS (the equivalent of 1 soda a day) resulted in a substantial increase in polyps that rapidly developed into advanced, high-grade dysplastic lesions. Carbon labeling showed uptake in fructose within the intestinal tumors themselves. Within the tumors, fructose was converted to fructose-1-phosphate, leading to activation of glycolysis and increased synthesis of fatty acids that support tumor growth. [22]…
Obesity and lifestyle choices such as cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and sedentary habits have also been associated with increased risk for colorectal cancer. A meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies found a modest but significant elevation of colorectal cancer risk in current smokers; risk was higher for men and for rectal cancers than colon cancers, and persisting in former smokers. [23]
The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), which involved 478,732 study subjects followed up for an average of 6.2 years, found that both lifetime and baseline alcohol consumption increase colorectal cancer risk. Increased risk was more apparent with alcohol intake greater than 30 g/day.[24] However, some epidemiologic studies have suggested that even moderate drinking increases the risk of colorectal cancer. [25]…
Greater adult-attained height is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer and adenoma, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis by Zhou et al that included 47 observational studies involving 280,644 colorectal cancer and 14,139 colorectal adenoma cases.The study found that overall, the risk of colorectal cancer is 24% higher in the tallest individuals within the highest percentile of height, compared with the shortest individuals within the lowest percentile. Every 3.9-inch (10-centimeter) increase in height was associated with a 14% higher risk for colon cancer and 6% higher odds of adenoma. Zhou et al recommend considering height as a risk factor for colorectal cancer screening.[31]
Inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn disease also increase the risk of developing colorectal adenocarcinoma. The risk for developing colorectal malignancy increases with the duration of inflammatory bowel disease and the greater extent of colon involvement. [32]
A matched case-control study of incident colorectal cancer cases in the United Kingdom from 1989 to 2012 found that use of oral antibiotics was associated with increased risk of colon cancer, particularly in the proximal colon. The association involved antibiotic exposure occurring more than 10 years before colon cancer diagnosis. Risk was dose dependent but was observed after even a single course of antibiotics.
In addition, risk was greatest with anti-anaerobic antibiotics. The authors note that such antibiotics markedly disrupt the gut microbiome, which consists predominantly of anaerobes, and this disruption may facilitate the acquisition or development of a carcinogenic colon microbiota. [33]
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