Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in both men and women in the US. According to the American Cancer Society’s most recent estimates, there were over 108,000 cases of colon cancer and almost 41,000 cases of rectal cancer in 2009, causing almost 50,000 deaths.
Overall, the lifetime risk for developing colorectal cancer is about 5.3% or 1 in 19. Men are slightly more likely to have it than women.
According to a study from the December 2009 issue of International Journal of Cancer, if you want to reduce your risk of colon cancer you need to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables and drink more tea and red wine. The authors followed a group of 120,852 men and women who were 55-69 years old at the beginning of the study. Every participant filled out detailed dietary questionnaires, indicating how much of different types of foods and beverages they consumed. The reason for the study was to see if there was a link between diet and cancer and also whether certain types of food could reduce cancer risk. Continue reading ‘Colon Cancer – How to Reduce the Risk’ »