Genetic and environmental risk factors for colorectal cancer: anatomic site specificity

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Cancer of the large bowel (colorectal cancer) is the second most common cancer in Australians and is becoming more common. Despite this, there is still much uncertainty about what causes some people to develop this cancer. We believe that some of this uncertainty arises because there are actually different causes of cancer for different sections of the colon and rectum. This study aims to collect information from 1000 people with colorectal cancer and 1000 people without colorectal cancer, and compare various factors such as their genetic makeup, diet, AND lifestyle. We expect to find that some factors are more common in people with cancer in the upper parts of the bowel, while other factors are more common in people with cancer in the lower parts of the bowel. This kind of information can be used to design programs to prevent colorectal cancer. For example, we might advise people to exercise more or eat more fish in order to decrease their chances of developing this cancer.