So many factors are thought to come into play in determining who gets colorectal cancer and who doesn't that it's hard to choose one as the most important. A diet that is low in fat and red meat and high in calcium and folate may contribute to preventing colorectal cancer, and although the verdict is not yet in on the benefits of fiber, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables with a high fiber content would be beneficial in many ways. Daily doses of non-steroidal anti-infla
             mmatory agents (NSAIDs), such as aspirin and naproxen, may lower your risk of colorectal cancer by as much as 40 percent. "But we don't recommend these medications for patients who don't need them for other reasons," says AGA member Francis Giardiello, MD, Professor of Medicine and Director, Division of Gastroenterology, at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. His recommendation, then, for the best way to fight off colorectal cancer? Get to know your family better.
             "Family history is very important," says Dr. Giardiello. "People with first-degree relatives (parents, siblings or children) who contracted colon cancer before age 50 have a 22 percent greater chance of contracting it themselves." He adds that people with a family history of polyps, benign growths that often are precursors of cancer, also have an increased risk. Approximately 15 to 50 percent of colorectal cancers are familial, meaning they tend to occur in more members of a family than expected by chance alone. Two hereditary causes of colorectal cancer are familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) (characterized by hundreds or even thousands of polyps developing in the colon or rectum at a young age) and hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) (an inherited tendency to develop colorectal cancer at a younger age).
             If you discover that you are at high risk for colorectal cancer or polyps, there's no need to despair - the enemy you know is better than the one you don&ap
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