Key points
- If you have family health history of colorectal (colon) cancer, you may be more likely to get it yourself.
- Share your family health history of cancer with your doctor.
Overview
Each year, more than 140,000 people in the United States get colorectal (colon) cancer. Most of these cancers happen by chance. But some are hereditary, meaning that they are caused by genetic changes (called mutations) that are passed down in families.
If you are at risk for hereditary colorectal cancer, you can take steps to lower your risk. To find out if you are at risk, collect your family history of cancer and share it with your doctor. If your family health history shows that you could be at higher risk for cancer, your doctor may refer you for genetic counseling and genetic testing.