March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month, and according to Dr. Catherine McCarthy, Professor of Family and Community Medicine at UNR School of Medicine and physician champion with the Healthy Nevada Project, one of the most important risk factors is often overlooked: family history.
“Colon cancer is one of the most preventable cancers we see,” says Dr. McCarthy. “But prevention starts with awareness — and that includes knowing your family’s story.”
Colon cancer often develops from precancerous polyps over many years. When detected early through screening, it is highly treatable — and in many cases, completely preventable.
“If you have a family member diagnosed with colon cancer — especially at a younger age — your risk is significantly higher,” Dr. McCarthy explains. “In those cases, screening may need to start earlier than age 45.”
She encourages families to talk openly about cancer diagnoses and the ages at which relatives were diagnosed.
“Those details matter. They directly influence when we start screening and how often we screen.”
Some colon cancers are caused by inherited genetic conditions, most commonly Lynch syndrome.
“Through the Healthy Nevada Project, we are identifying individuals with inherited cancer risk who may not have known they were at increased risk,” Dr. McCarthy says. “When we find these genetic markers early, we can intervene before cancer develops. That’s the power of population health.”
Identifying inherited risk not only helps patients — it allows family members to pursue early screening as well.
“When one person learns they carry a hereditary risk, it gives us the opportunity to protect other family members and future generations.”
Dr. McCarthy emphasizes that screening remains critical for everyone.
“For average-risk adults, screening begins at age 45 and can be done with at-home stool tests or colonoscopy. The best screening test is the one you complete.”
She also urges younger adults not to ignore symptoms.
“We are seeing rising rates of colon cancer in younger adults. If you have persistent changes in bowel habits, unexplained anemia, or blood in the stool, please seek care.”
“Colon cancer does not have to be deadly,” Dr. McCarthy says. “With screening, family history awareness, and genetic insight, this is a cancer we can prevent. March is the perfect time to start that conversation.”
Renown’s Healthy Nevada Project is one of the largest community-based population health programs in the world, offering no-cost genetic screening for those age 18+ in the northern Nevada area.
This test looks for variants linked to three actionable conditions:
