Lifestyle choices condition colon and rectal cancer risk more than genetics

Researchers from Victor Moreno’s group have issued the first predictive risk model of colon and rectal cancer based on Spanish data that combines genetic and lifestyle information. Their work, published in Scientific Reports, highlights the importance of improving lifestyle to reduce the risk of colon cancer and suggests using a combination of lifestyle and genetic information in order to subdivide the population into different groups according to their colon cancer risk, which would fine tune the current screening method.
To be able to develope this model, the researchers used data from the 10,106 participants included in the “MCC-Spain” Spanish multicentre study (http://www.mccspain.org), carried out collectively by researchers belonging to CIBEResp. All the participants were interviewed to analyze the known risk factors (diet, physical exercise, body mass index, alcohol and family history of cancer, among others). Additionally, in a subgroup of 1,336 cases of colorectal cancer and 2,744 controls a blood sample was taken to detect the genetic predisposition to develop colon and rectal cancer.
With all the data gathered, the research team concluded that lifestyle influences cancer risk more than genetics. For example, they calculated that if a lifestyle choice conferring the risk is changed (for example, if a healthy weight is obtained), this can compensate for having 4 genetic risk predisposition points (risk alleles).

2017 Risk Model for CRC in Spanish population using enviromental and genetic factors (MCC)_GB