Understanding bowel cancer – prevention

How can I prevent bowel cancer?

To help prevent bowel cancer, eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and cut back on red meat and other high-fat foods, such as eggs and many dairy products. You can get the protein you need from low-fat dairy products (also a good source of calcium), nuts, beans, lentils and soya bean products. Calcium supplements have also been shown to modestly reduce the risk of colon cancer. Avoid overcooking or barbecuing meats and fish.

There is a major study (the European Prospective Investigation of Cancer study - the EPIC study) involving over 500,000 people in the UK and eight other European countries, which is looking at the relationship between diet, lifestyle and cancer. Started in 1992, it is producing reports on diet and lifestyle and a variety of cancers, which will continue over the next two decades. 

Reports from the EPIC study show that a diet high in fibre, and including fish about three times a week, may play a major part in protecting you against bowel cancer. People who ate the most fibre in their diet had a 40% lower bowel cancer risk than people who ate the least fibre.

Being overweight increases the risk of developing colon cancer. Therefore, regular physical activity reduces the risk. Studies have linked physical exercise to a lower risk of bowel cancer, but not rectal cancer. Results from the EPIC study so far continue to show there is strong evidence that exercise reduces the risk of bowel cancer.

Talk to your doctor about the latest evidence on aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and their effects on bowel cancer development. Some studies show that people who regularly take aspirin significantly reduce their risk of developing bowel cancer, although other studies show no correlation. However, don't start taking aspirin on your own. It is a medicine and can cause health problems if taken without a doctor's advice.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been shown to reduce the risk of colon cancer in women. However, it has been suggested that HRT may increase the risk of other cancers.

If you are older, make sure that you are taking part in NHS screening programmes for bowel cancer (offered to those from 60 to 69 years old in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and those from 50 to 74 years old in Scotland). Everyone should take part in this programme, but it is especially important if you are at high risk of the disease. Finding and removing large polyps before they become cancerous, or detecting cancers at an early stage, are the best ways to prevent or effectively treat the disease.