Risk of developing early onset colorectal cancer may be higher for patients without a family history of the disease, according to research published in Gastroenterology.
Researchers from the Department of Population Health at NYU Langone studied 12,197 colorectal cancer patients younger than 50 and 95,865 colorectal cancer patients 60 years and older to study how early and late onset colorectal cancer developed in the two groups.
Three findings:
1. Researchers discovered patients with a high cumulative genetic risk, or common genetic traits associated with colorectal cancer and other lifestyle factors are at a higher risk for developing the disease early than those with family history.
2. Researchers said using common genetic factors along with lifestyle choices may help clinicians identify individuals who are at the highest risk for developing the disease earlier in life.
3. In the next phase of the study, the researchers plan to examine the interplay between genetic and lifestyle factors to predict early onset colorectal cancer patients with more accuracy.