Colon cancer is the third most common type of cancer. Every year, lakhs of people are diagnosed with this disease and many of them are succumbed to death due to it. However, this condition can be prevented. Learning about the risk factors for colon cancer can help prevent this condition effectively. Reports showed that around seventy-five percent of people suffering from this condition could have avoided it if they had followed the following steps.

1. Get screened
One of the most important preventive measures is to get yourself screened. Early detection will help avoid the progression of this disease throughout the colon. A physician may choose what form of screening would be ideal based on the affected person’s medical history as well as that of their family. Various inherited diseases also act as an important risk factor when screening colon cancer.

Some of the common screening tests for this disease include:

• Colonoscopy
  This test should be conducted every ten years to examine the entire length of the colon. If polyps or suspicious growth is detected, they can be removed during the examination.
• Faecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT) or Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT)
  This is suggested every year to check for hidden blood in the stools, which is a symptom of this disease.

2. Changes in lifestyle
An effective way to prevent this form of cancer is to bring certain changes in the lifestyle. Habits like smoking, consumption of alcohol, and an inactive lifestyle are considered to be major risk factors for colon cancer. Hence, it is advised to quit these habits. It is suggested to limit the consumption of alcohol and exercise regularly to keep the symptoms of colon cancer at bay.

3. Diet
Avoiding or limiting red meat such as steak, pork, or processed meats such as sausage and bacon can help reduce the risk of developing colon cancer. A study proved that an adequate amount of vitamin D and calcium can protect against colon cancer. Therefore, it is also advised to follow a diet that is rich in calcium and vitamin D. In addition to these, one should also include an adequate amount of multivitamins in their diet. Further study has shown that the folate present in multivitamins is responsible for lowering the risk of this disease.

4. Check weight regularly
Being overweight is one of the risk factors of colon cancer along with ten other different types of cancer. Apart from smoking, this is another major factor that can increase the chances of developing cancer significantly. Therefore, it is very important to check body weight regularly and maintain the ideal weight according to height, age, and gender. Controlling weight can also prevent various other health-related problems.