Researchers under the leadership of Dr. Boris Pasche of Northwestern University and Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Illinois,have concluded that a genetic abnormality accounts for 10 to 20 percent of colorectal cancer cases.

Colorectal cancer refers to colon cancer and rectal cancer jointly.It is the third most common form of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the whole world and it involves cancerous growths in the colon, rectum and appendix. Colorectal cancers is caused by adenomatous polyps which usually are benign but turn carcinogenic over time. An estimated 1.2 million cases of colorectal cancer are diagnosed annually over the world and the around 630,000 people die from this disease.

Reportedly,the study involved 242 people in central Ohio with colorectal cancer and 195 people who did not have it. The study established the fact that people with an abnormality related to a gene called TGFBR1 are nine times more prone to the disease than those who did not have the trait. Other risk factors that were reported to cause this disease are diet high in fat and calories and low in fiber, obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, heavy drinking and smoking.

The good news is that a blood test can identify people with the genetic trait and an early diagnosis can be expected when the cancer can be treated.