For individuals in the United States, the lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer is approximately 6 percent, or one in every 17 people. Most of the time, colorectal cancer occurs in people over 50 years of age. If you have a first degree relative (for example, a parent, sibling or child) who had colorectal cancer at an early age, your risk of developing colon cancer is increased. If you also have more than one close relative (for example, mother, father, sibling, child, grandparent, aunt or uncle) who has had colon cancer before age 50, you are at even greater risk. For such patients, an assessment by a genetic counselor is helpful in determining the most personalized and appropriate guidelines for screening and preventive care based on both individual family history and standard practice recommendations.
With people who have either a personal or a family history of Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP) or Hereditary Non-Polyposis Colorectal Cancer (HNPCC) or Lynch Syndrome, the risk of developing colorectal cancer is very high. Since we know some of the genes responsible for these conditions, genetic testing may be of assistance to help identify individuals who are at increased risk.
Refer to the Registry Enrollment Criteria page for more information about increased risk.
Please refer to the following disease-specific information sheets for details about particular hereditary colon and rectal cancer syndromes: