How can the risk for developing colon cancer be lowered?
• Follow the testing guidelines set by the American Cancer Society. Testing can find precancerous polyps. Removing these polyps can prevent most colon cancers. Testing also can help detect colon cancer early, when the chances for successful treatment are greatest. • Know your family history. If colon cancer runs in your family, you may need to be tested earlier and more often. • Avoid cigarettes and other tobacco products. • Maintain a healthy body weight. Obesity is associated with an increased risk of colon cancer. • Get plenty of exercise. Even small amounts of exercise on a regular basis can be helpful. • Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grain foods, and limit the intake of high-fat foods. What types of tests are used to detect colon cancer? It is possible to have colon cancer and not have any symptoms. For that reason, screening tests are used. These tests can find polyps, which when removed can prevent colon cancer. Even if cancer is found, screening tests find many ca
