Overtime, many of these individuals will develop colon cancer. Genetic factors also have been linked to colorectal cancer. Mutations in the k-ras gene from environmental causes are found in 50 percent of all people with colorectal adenomas and cancers. Defective tumor suppressor genes may be responsible for up to two-thirds of hereditary colon cancer. As this information is further perfected, genetic testing will be used more widely to screen family members for early colon cancer.
Colorectal cancer strikes both men and women.
African Americans and Hispanics are more likely to be diagnosed with colon cancer in advanced stages. Although the exact causes of colon cancer are not known, studies have shown that as people age, their risk of colon cancer increases. For this reason, guidelines for cancer screening generally include age recommendations for when such tests should begin for a person of average risk. Most people who have colon cancer are over the age of 50. The average person has about a 6 percent chance of developing colon cancer.