Key points
- Your risk of getting colorectal cancer increases as you get older.
- Personal choices and certain health conditions can also raise your risk
Age and lifestyle
Your risk of getting colorectal cancer increases as you get older. About 93% of colorectal cancers are found in people who are 45 or older.
Your lifestyle may increase your colorectal cancer risk, such as:
- Not getting enough physical activity.
- Not keeping a healthy weight.
- Drinking alcohol.
- Using tobacco.
Conditions that can increase risk
Certain health conditions can also increase your chance of getting colorectal cancer, such as:
- Inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.
- A personal or family history of colorectal cancer or colorectal polyps.
- A genetic syndrome such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) or hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (Lynch syndrome).
- Being overweight or having obesity.