Another CRC Risk Factor that Doesn't Apply to Me

[BrownBagger]

http://www.bbc.com/news/health-32849977

Along with eating lots of red meat and leading a sedentary lifestyle.

Genetics, folks. That's my best guess.

[trbiggins]

Really. I was 6'2 and 160 pounds when I graduated high school. All these risk factors make me laugh. There's no reason I should have colon cancer. I just do and I deal with it. I don't think there's anything I could have done to stop it except for maybe early screening. We were simply dealt a bad hand.

Richard

[PainInTheAss]

I agree.

As for genetics, I must have mutant genes because my grandmother and grandfather both had 10 brothers and sisters. German farmers with lots of kids and unhealthy high fat diets. With literally hundreds of relatives (I have 21 first cousins alone), I only have one great aunt who had colon cancer in her 70s. No one under age 50. Just me. Non smoker. No red meat. High fiber diet. No drugs. Very little alcohol. Blah blah blah.

The only risk factor I can acknowledge is stress. Being a single mother of four kids and working a high stress job, yeah, I had way too much stress. I remember worrying about how this could affect my health when my stress was almost at a breaking point.

So, don't know. Just tired of people trying to find something to blame cancer on so we who have it look like we got what we deserved.

I was surprised to find out that the majority of people with primary lung cancer are non smokers. They must also feel a lot of resentment for the common belief that lung cancer is preventable as well.

[andy21]

25 CRC Risk factors:

1-20 : Genes
21 onwards: Diet obesity etc.

[juliej]

I don't have any of the so-called risk factors either. No one in my family has ever even had cancer. Which is why when I went to the gastroenterologist he said, "Don't worry. I can promise you this isn't colon cancer. You don't have the symptoms." Too young, too healthy, too physically active -- and they don't look.

[kiwiinoz]

Eric

I think that these studies just look at the general population and not specifics. I didn't have any of the risk factors and I still got bowel cancer. I took a lot of online tests to ascertain if I had any of the risks for bowel cancer of I was diagnosed and I didn't so I don't think you can look at specifics.

Like Andy said, most of it just comes down to your genes and luck.

And talking of your Jeans, are they getting easier to fit into now that you are back on your bike?

I've been running heaps (I have done about 35 miles since Sunday running) and I really have to concentrate on eating enough to not lose weight. Mrs Kiwi did a 1/2 Marathon with me 2 weekends ago and has had a week off and is slowly getting back into running. She has been living the good life, eating LOTS and LOTS of chocholate, eating out, drinking a lot of wine, and after 2 weeks she has lost weight.....now that shows me that her genes are better than mine Just the luck of the draw huh?

Kiwi

[jillbugs4110]

It's bull I maintained healthy weight worked out no drinking smoking (cigs) healthy healthy still have now I have this fucking horrid disease.

[CRguy]

I was a little too tall
Could've used a few pounds -Bob Seger "Night Moves"

never sat still
no bad food habits
no booze
no drugs ….. then

If I believed every new "study" with all the things we SHOULD NOT do to avoid cancer,
then I would NOT be here 'cos I did none of them !

I am here in spite of them and myself …..
luck of the draw
genetics
… oooops !

well maybe red meat BUTT so did the rest of my "genetic" family and wait for it !!!!…
NONE of them are here are they ????

LIVE your life
live large
go BIG or go home

JMO
CR on the Journey

[lpas]

This is the kind of crap that drives me nuts. I know I shouldn't let it bother me, but it does.

[hummingbird3]

Genetics, environmental and how we as individuals deal with stress is what I believe. (I think there is a lot more to the second one than anyone knows right yet)
Diet .. umm not so much ..
exercise .. lol .. didn't work for me either ... still recurred. But, I did try it! Also cut out red meat. Never drank or drugs, cut out processed foods and watched sugar intake (didn't cut it out completely) .. so there is that! Exercise did make me feel better after chemo to gain strength back .. but cancer came back also.

[rwightman]

Total bullshit. My grandma is still alive at 100, other grandparents lived into their 70's or late 80's and not one of them watched their diets. No cancer history anywhere, but interesting that after my diagnosis my brother and sister both went and got colonoscopies. Brother who is 44 had 3 polyps that doc said would have turned cancerous in the 4 - 5 years. Sister had a flat polyp that I guess always leads to cancer if not found, so I guess I saved two people from the dreaded diagnosis. I think it has to be something that has changed in our environment or food supply. How does a family with zero history get to my generation and have the potential to strike all three of us? Nothing else makes sense to me.

[jjlist]

We don't know what cancer is. We don't know how to cure it. Ultimately it is down right silly to try and identify a risk factor for,cancer. We don't choose our hair color. We don't know why somoene slams home runs better than others, why Whitney Houston has an unforgettable singing talent. Cancer is a genetic disease. If that ever becomes fully understood what that means. Only then maybe Possibly could we identify some kind of messed up gene in a piece of bacon that is not good for a previously identified human susceptible and would not be able to handle that gene. i fear we are a long ways away from that secret of life. Sadly risk factor stories I think ultimately are used to sell something.

[horizon]

http://www.bbc.com/news/health-32849977

Along with eating lots of red meat and leading a sedentary lifestyle.

Genetics, folks. That's my best guess.

Makes me shake my head also. None of those apply to me either.

[BrownBagger]

Both my maternal grandparents died of this disease (49/72). My mom, 80, has never had so much as a polyp.

I guess it skips generations, too.

Dad died of metastasized prostate cancer, so I guess I should start worrying about that.

Kiwi: It's proving remarkably hard to lose that weight. I'm getting plenty of excercise in the garden (pics to follow) and the wood pile--and I'm only eating good stuff and not too much of it--and still I can't shake that last 5 pounds.

All I can say is, I never had this problem when I was younger. Guess my daddy was right after all.

[KWT]

Both my maternal grandparents died of this disease (49/72). My mom, 80, has never had so much as a polyp.

I guess it skips generations, too.

Dad died of metastasized prostate cancer, so I guess I should start worrying about that.

My grandmother her brother and father all died from this as well. My mom could win a smoking and drinking contest doesn't eat well and hasn't exercised in 40 years and she's still good to go.

Life causes cancer.