Colon cancer prevention quiz: Are you reducing your risk?

Modifying your diet and making other lifestyle changes help reduce your risk of colon cancer, but the most effective way to prevent colon cancer is to be screened regularly for the disease. Most people begin regular screening at age 50. People with a family history of colon cancer or who have other risk factors for colon cancer may need to begin screening earlier.

A number of cancers, including colon cancer, have been linked to cigarette smoke. It's commonly known that cigarette smoke can cause lung cancer. But many people don't realize that smokers sometimes swallow the cancer-causing substances in smoke, putting them at risk of cancers in the digestive tract, such as colon cancer. Other types of cancer that can be caused by smoking include acute myeloid leukemia, as well as cancers of the mouth, throat, bladder, kidney, pancreas, cervix and stomach.

Although some studies suggest that vitamin D — produced by your body in response to sunlight — may help in colon cancer prevention, too much sun puts you at risk of skin cancer. So don't spend time sunbathing in hopes of reducing your risk of colon cancer. Instead, spend small amounts of time soaking up the sun. Then cover up with long sleeves or sunblock if you plan to spend more time outdoors. If you'd like to add more vitamin D to your diet, talk with your doctor about taking a daily multivitamin or choosing more low-fat dairy products that contain vitamin D.

It isn't clear just how fruits and vegetables reduce your risk of colon cancer, but research shows they can reduce your risk. Fruits and vegetables provide lots of healthy vitamins and minerals that may play a role in colon cancer prevention, including antioxidants, folic acid and fiber.

Add fiber to your diet by eating five to seven servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Fiber also comes from grains, cereals and legumes — such as lentils and beans. Adding more fiber to your diet requires only simple changes. Switch from white bread — about 0.6 grams of fiber per slice — to whole-wheat bread — about 2 grams of fiber per slice.

Though some studies show fiber consumption has little or no effect on the incidence of colon cancer, high-fiber foods, such as fruits and vegetables, usually contain many other vitamins and nutrients that may reduce your risk of cancer and other diseases.

Though the research into aspirin's colon cancer prevention prospects is compelling, don't take it as a sign to immediately start taking aspirin every day. More research is needed to understand important details. For one, doctors aren't sure how much aspirin you'd need to take to sufficiently reduce your risk of colon cancer. And it isn't clear how long you'd need to take a daily aspirin before you'd receive some benefit — some studies say it could take as long as 10 years. Aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have their own side effects, such as stomach bleeding. The majority of people with an average risk of cancer shouldn't take a daily aspirin to prevent colon cancer. But some people with a high risk of colon cancer — such as those with a strong family history of the disease — may want to talk with their doctors about the potential benefits of daily aspirin.

A diet low in fat, particularly one low in animal fat, may reduce your risk of colon cancer. Reduce the amount of meat that you eat by choosing most of your food from plant sources.

Making healthy lifestyle choices at any age may significantly reduce your chance of developing life-threatening diseases later. It's never too soon or too late to take steps to improve your health.

Only a small percentage of colon cancers are caused by known genetic disorders. The majority of colon cancers are sporadic — meaning they have no known connection to your family history. Colon cancer can happen to anyone.

Most colon cancers grow very slowly — you usually don't experience any signs or symptoms until colon cancer is quite advanced. Screening gives your doctor a chance to remove precancerous growths (polyps) before they even become colon cancer. Colon cancer screening can also find cancer in its early stages — when it's more likely to be cured.