Colon cancer cases are on the rise among young people.
Certain lifestyle choices can lower the likelihood of having the condition.
Dr. Michael Shusterman, a gastrointestinal oncologist, follows these three simple steps to reduce his risk.
Colon cancer is now the top cause of cancer death among men under the age of 50 in the United States, as well as the second deadliest cancer in women of the same age.
Colorectal cancer rates have been increasing in younger individuals since the 1990s, according to the American Cancer Society, and the total medical cost of colorectal cancer care in the United States was $24.3 billion in 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
While experts aren't sure what's causing the increase in cases, and some factors like genetics are beyond our control, Dr. Michael Shusterman, a gastrointestinal medical oncologist at NYU Langone's Perlmutter Cancer Center on Long Island, told Business Insider that there are some lifestyle choices that could reduce the risk of developing colon cancer.
Obesity, type 2 diabetes, and smoking are all related with an increased risk of colon cancer. However, "they don't necessarily lead to colon cancer," Shusterman explained.
Shusterman does, however, often urge that patients quit smoking, limit their alcohol consumption, engage in moderate-intensity exercise, consume more fiber and less red meat, and avoid ultra-processed foods to the greatest extent feasible.
He also understands that adopting significant lifestyle changes can be difficult, and he battles with it himself. As a result, he prioritizes little tasks that he can easily fit into his calendar. "It's difficult to do when you're a busy professional, and if that's the case, it's important to find time, but that's a struggle for me," he added.
Shusterman discussed three basic modifications he's taken to help prevent colon cancer.
Consume less red meat.
According to Shusterman, a high consumption of red meat items such as beef, liver, hog, and deli meats is strongly linked to colon cancer.
According to the World Health Organization, cooking meats at high temperatures or in close contact with a flame or hot surface, such as when barbecue, appears to enhance risk by producing more carcinogenic compounds.
Shusterman, who enjoys the flavor of burgers and liver, decided to cut back on his consumption around four years ago for health reasons. He now buys red meat sparingly and only on special occasions.
"It's a lot harder to go out and work out four times a week than it is to cut back on your red meat consumption in a lot of ways," he told me. Make it a treat rather than a dietary staple, and replace it with something different, like chicken or fish, he suggests.
Eat more tree nuts.
There is some evidence that consuming tree nuts like cashews, almonds, macadamia nuts, and hazelnuts may lessen your chance of developing colon cancer.
A big study discovered that persons with stage 3 colon cancer who ate at least two 1-ounce meals of tree nuts each week were less likely to get cancer again or die prematurely than those who did not. However, a study review that compared research on the topic yielded conflicting results.
Despite the mixed statistics, Shusterman decided to increase his consumption of tree nuts. "It's not harmful as long as there's no contraindication to it, essentially," he added.
It's also worth noting that this is only one correlation, which might be explained by a variety of other factors, such as people who eat nuts having generally healthy behaviors, according to Shusterman.
Vitamin D
In a similar vein, Shusterman takes vitamin D tablets every day in the hopes of lowering his risk. His usual dosage is 1,000 to 2,000 International Units.
There is some evidence suggesting those with high vitamin D levels are less likely to get colon cancer, he says, although this is vulnerable to prejudice. Some studies have identified an association between vitamin D and colon cancer, whereas others have not.
But Shusterman believes it's still worthwhile. "It won't hurt you to have a normal vitamin D level and get some sunlight. So this isn't a negative thing. "If anything, sunlight makes people happy," he explained.
