Guidelines for Colorectal Screening

• All adults age 50 or older should be screened regularly.
• Persons at higher risk should begin screening at a younger age and may require more frequent testing.
• The health benefits of screening are the detection and early treatment of precancerous polyps in order to prevent cancer or to detect it at the earliest, most treatable stage.
• The National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends having at least one of following screening tests at these intervals, beginning at age 50:
  • FOBT (fecal occult blood test) - every year.
  • Flexible sigmoidoscopy - every 5 years.
  • Double-contrast barium enema - every 5 years.
  • Colonoscopy - every 10 years.

In the event that a problem is detected through any screening test, a colonoscopy is usually then performed for polyp removal and/or diagnostic purposes.