Age
Personal or Family History
If you have had colorectal polyps (abnormal growths in the colon or rectum), you are more likely to develop colorectal cancer. This is especially true if the polyps are big, appear in multiples, or contain cells with precancerous abnormalities (dysplasia).
A family history of colorectal cancer is another risk factor. One out of three people diagnosed with colon cancer or rectal cancer have family members with the disease.
Having had colorectal cancer makes you more likely to get it again, even if you were successfully treated the first time.
A Personal History of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
Inflammatory bowel disease, which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, causes chronic inflammation of the colon. This can lead to dysplasia, which may eventually become cancer.
African American or Eastern European Jewish Heritage
Type 2 Diabetes
People with this form of non-insulin-dependent diabetes not only face a higher risk of colon cancer and rectal cancer, they tend to have a less favorable prognosis after diagnosis.