7 Factors That Raise Colorectal Cancer Risk Under 50
- Researchers at the University of Indiana spotted seven risk factors for disease
- Study looked at 3,000 men aged 35 to 49 years old, a fifth of whom had cancer
- READ MORE: The devastating toll of America's mystery rise in colon cancer
Scientists have revealed the seven factors that put young men at a higher risk of colon cancer - as experts scramble to find what's causing a surge in the disease.
Once seen as a disease of the elderly, there has been a mysterious doubling in colon cancer cases among young adults in recent years.
Researchers from Indiana University analyzed medical records of 3,000 men aged 35 to 49 years old — a fifth of whom were diagnosed with colon cancer.
The study, published recently in the journal Cancer Prevention Research, looked at the electronic health records of men from veteran medical centers and databases.
To determine who was most at risk for early onset colon cancer — when the cancer occurs before the age of 50 — researchers examined the medical records against 67 factors - including diet, smoking status, and whether the men took over-the-counter medications.
Among all of the factors, scientists found seven that significantly raised men's risk.
