Bowel cancer: risk factors

• Age:   Bowel cancer can occur in younger people but 8 out of 10 people who get cancer of the bowel are over the age of 60.

• A previous bowel polyp

• Personal history of chronic bowel inflammation Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease will slightly increase the risk of developing bowel cancer.

• Diet : A diet that is high in red meat and fat and low in vegetables, folate and fibre may increase the risk of bowel cancer.

• Lack of exercise:   Moderate exercise may help prevent bowel cancer.

• Obesity :  Being overweight or obese may increase the risk of bowel cancer.

• Smoking and alcohol :  Although not as strong a risk factor as for other cancers, smoking may also increase the risk of bowel cancer, particularly in heavy drinkers. Alcohol consumption may increase risk, especially in those with low levels of folate in their diet.

• Family history :  Fewer than 1 in 10 cases of bowel cancer are due to an inherited gene defect. However, there are certain families who have an increased risk of developing bowel cancer due to a variety of conditions including familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) and hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer (HNPCC).

• Personal history of bowel cancer : Having had bowel cancer before increases the risk of a new cancer developing.