Colon cancer: risk factors and screening options

Dr. Michael Hill, Orangeburg surgeon Colon cancer is the third most common cause of cancer and the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Risk factors for colon cancer include age, family history of colon polyps, inflammatory bowel disease and hereditary syndromes. Colon polyps are mushroom-shaped abnormal growths that outline the large intestine and protrude into the lumen. Colon cancer typically develops from precancerous polyps in the colon.