While the exact cause of rectal cancer is not fully understood, several risk factors contributing to its development have been identified. These factors primarily include:

* Advanced Age: A significant majority of rectal cancers occur in older individuals.
* Lifestyle:
* Alcohol and tobacco consumption.
* Diets high in animal fats, a sedentary lifestyle, and obesity.
* Personal Medical Conditions:
* A history of colorectal cancer or polyps.
* Chronic inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.
* Diabetes (sugar disease).
* Radiotherapy treatment, especially to the abdominal area, for cancer.
* Genetics and Family History:
* Genetic syndromes like Lynch syndrome (hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer) and Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP).
* A family history of colon or rectal cancer, particularly in first-degree relatives.