Is There a Correlation Between Breast Cancer & Colon Cancer?

There appears to be a correlation between breast and colon cancers.

Breast cancer and colon cancer are fairly common and very curable in the early stages. They may have more in common than that, as there seem to be a number of factors connecting the two.

Breast Cancer Patients

A study conducted in Genoa, Italy, showed breast cancer patients have a much higher incidence of colorectal polyps and a higher occurrence of malignancy in those masses than the average person does.

Colon Cancer Patients

Patients operated on for colorectal cancer appear to have a higher incidence of breast cancer, though the risk is not well defined.

BRCA Gene

The BRCA 1 gene mutation, which increases the risk of breast cancer, also makes the chances of developing colon cancer much greater.

Family History

If you have a relative who had colon cancer, your risk of developing breast cancer can increase by 20 percent to 30 percent. A first-degree relative (parent or sibling) makes the risk even higher.

Considerations

If you or someone in your family has a history of colon or breast cancer, alert your doctor and follow up with regular checkups and screening for both diseases.

References

• Medline Plus: Breast Cancer
• Cancer.gov: BRCA1 and BRCA2
• National Institute of Health: Association between breast and colorectal cancer