Background: Cancer has a complicated etiology, and the risk factors for cancer are ingrained in genetics and environment. Globally, an estimated 19.3 million new cancer cases and approximately 10 million cancer deaths occurred in 2020. Female breast cancer has surpassed lung cancer as the most commonly diagnosed cancer (11.7%), followed by lung (11.4%) and colorectal cancer (10.0%) in the third place. Colorectal Cancer (CRC) is associated with the population dietary and lifestyle factors.
Aim:  To determine dietary risk factors of CRC in patients and to study the relation between lifestyle factors and development of CRC.
Methods: A case control study was done included 60 CRC patients and 60 control subjects matched by age and sex. Data was collected through an electronic questionnaire, including questions about socio-demographic data, medical data concerning dietary and lifestyle factors.
Results: The most significant dietary and life style CRC risk factors were higher consumption of red meat, preserved food (daily consumption 36.8% of patients vs 1.67% of control), daily spicy food consumption (60% of patients vs 5% of control), About most (80%) of patients consumed soft drinks daily compared to 45% of controls. 40% of CRC patients were smokers in comparison to (18.33) % of healthy control. The most significant protective factors were physical activity, higher consumption of fruits and vegetable as 60% of controls ate more than five servings of fruits and vegetables per day compared to 10% of patients, fresh fish and fruit juice (daily consumption of fruit juice was higher among controls (40%) than among CRC patients (5%) and all these differences were represented as statistically significant p value = (p < 0.001).
Conclusion: This study provides supporting evidence that lifestyle and dietary modification are important factors in the prevention of colorectal cancer.
Key words: colorectal cancer, risk factors, life style, diet