|Colorectal Cancer Risks, Prevention, and Testing| |National
Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance| | Last Modified: November
1, 2001 Colorectal cancer develops slowly over a long period of
time, usually starting out as a small polyp on the inner colon
wall. By removing these polyps, it is usually possible to
prevent colorectal cancer. Early detection of these colorectal
polyps is the key to protection against this disease. There are
simple steps anyone can take to greatly reduce their risk of
this preventable, yet deadly, cancer. Both men and women are at
equal risk for colorectal cancer. The older you are, the higher
your risk; nevertheless, 13,000 cases will still be diagnosed in
people under 50. 0 African Americans have higher colorectal
cancer rates than men and women of other racial and ethnic
groups. Other unhealthy habits like smoking or being overweight
increase your risk for colorectal cancer. A big risk factor is
having a family history or personal history of the following:
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