Causes of bowel cancer

Who is more likely to get bowel cancer

It's not always known what causes bowel cancer, but it can be caused by genetic changes, lifestyle and environmental factors.

Having certain health conditions can also make you more likely to get bowel cancer.

You may be more likely to get bowel cancer if:

• you're over 50
• you smoke
• you're overweight
• a close relative has had bowel cancer
• you have inflammatory bowel disease, which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis
• you have small growths in your bowel called bowel polyps
• you have Lynch syndrome or familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP)

How to lower your risk of bowel cancer

You cannot always prevent bowel cancer, but there are things you can do to lower your chance of getting it.

You can find out more about preventing bowel cancer on the World Cancer Research Fund website.