Who Is at Higher Risk for Colon Cancer?

Who Is at Higher Risk for Colon Cancer? (0:54)

Colon cancer can affect anyone, but it's more common in people who eat a Western diet or have a family history. In this video, Sharmila Anandasabapathy, MD, a gastroenterologist, discusses who is most at risk for colon cancer.

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What I always tell patients is that the goal of colonoscopy is not to find cancers. The goal of colonoscopy is to find the polyps and remove the polyps that can lead to cancer over time. Colon cancer can affect anybody. It affects all comers. It's more common in western populations in part because of diets and there have been studies that have shown directly that diets that are higher in fat, higher in red meat are more associated with colon cancer, in patients with family medical histories those patients have to be watched more carefully as well.