Is colon cancer hereditary?Doctors say there is a genetic susceptibility to cancer. Research has also found that cancer has regional or family aggregation. Patients with hereditary cancers carry genetic material that makes their cells more likely to become cancerous and may be passed on to the next generation.

At present, about 20% of cancers are hereditary in families. However, not all cancers are hereditary, and only 5% to 10% of tumors are hereditary. Among them, colon cancer has a hereditary risk.

There are two inheritance pathways for colon cancer. One is hereditary precancerous colon polyps, accounting for about 1% to 2%; the other is hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer, and the inactivation of nucleic acid repair genes in human genetic material. Related, to put it simply, cancer genes are directly passed on to the next generation, accounting for about 2% to 7%.

A large number of studies have shown that if there is a colon cancer patient in a family, the probability of blood relatives, such as parents, children, brothers and sisters, etc., to develop colon cancer is significantly increased, which is about 2 to 3 times that of ordinary people.

In addition to genetics, these factors may also easily induce colon cancerColon cancer occurs under the influence of a variety of carcinogenic factors. In addition to genetics, poor eating habits, lack of exercise, excessive drinking, and untreated intestinal diseases may also lead to the occurrence of colon cancer.

High-fat and high-protein dietStudies have shown that a high-fat and high-protein diet can affect intestinal lipid metabolism, lead to changes in intestinal flora, affect the structure and function of intestinal mucosa, and promote the production of carcinogens.

SedentarySitting for long periods of time results in less physical exertion, slower intestinal peristalsis, and slower digestion and decomposition of ingested fats and proteins, causing metabolites to remain in the intestines and constantly irritating the colon mucosa, thereby causing colon cancer.

excessive drinkingDrinking alcohol can cause irritation to the digestive tract, which over time can cause intestinal mucosal lesions and lead to the occurrence of polyps. At the same time, alcohol also blocks the absorption of methionine and folic acid, increasing the risk of colon cancer.

Intestinal diseases linger for a long time without treatmentIf you have chronic intestinal inflammation and intestinal diseases such as polyps, adenomas, or extensive ulcerative colitis for more than 10 years, your risk of colon cancer will be several times higher than that of the average person. However, it is worth noting that hemorrhoids have a very small chance of developing into colon cancer. Colon cancer usually starts from benign polyps, grows slowly over time, and finally changes quantitatively and qualitatively, and finally develops into cancer.

When colon cancer comes, the body will light up "early warning lights"There are no specific symptoms in the early stages of colon cancer. The more common symptoms are changes in defecation habits and stool properties, so most patients do not pay special attention to it. When the symptoms cannot be ignored, when you go to the hospital for a check-up, you will often be in the middle and late stages, missing the best opportunity for treatment.

Therefore, we cannot let go of the clues of colon cancer. We should detect physical abnormalities in time and seek medical treatment as soon as possible.

When colon cancer strikes, your body may experience the following symptoms:

Changes in defecation habits and characteristics: increase or decrease in defecation frequency, alternating occurrence of diarrhea and constipation, thinning of stool characteristics, and dysentery-like pus and blood in the stool. There is a clear difference between the blood in the stool caused by colon cancer and the blood in the stool caused by hemorrhoids. The blood in the stool caused by colon cancer is darker in color and is mostly mixed in the stool. The blood in the stool caused by hemorrhoids is usually bright red. The blood drips after the stool is passed and is separated from the stool. 

Abdominal pain: The specific manifestation is persistent distension or dull pain that is not accurately localized. The abdominal pain is more obvious after eating. Most of it occurs in the right lower abdomen. The pain is similar to an attack of chronic appendicitis.

Abdominal mass: About 50% of colon cancer patients will feel a mass in the abdomen in the early stage. The mass is hard and irregular in shape, and can move freely with the intestines.

Systemic symptoms: low-grade fever, fatigue, sudden weight loss, anemia, edema and other systemic symptoms.

When the above symptoms appear, you need to be vigilant, go to the hospital for gastrointestinal examination in time, and perform targeted gastroscopy and colonoscopy to find out the cause to avoid delaying the condition.