Did you know?

The American Cancer Society has set the following guidelines for individuals to screen for colorectal cancer. The disease is highly curable when found early through preventive screenings.

Beginning at age 50,

Tests that find polyps and cancer:

• colonoscopy every 10 years 
• flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years 
• double contrast barium enema every 5 years 
• CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy) every 5 years

Tests that mainly find cancer:

• fecal occult blood test (FOBT) every year
• fecal immunochemical test (FIT) every year
• stool DNA test (sDNA), interval uncertain

Individuals should talk to their doctor about screening earlier or more often if they have colorectal cancer risk factors, such as a personal history of inflammatory bowel disease or strong family history of colorectal cancer or polyps.

For more details on screenings or other gastrointestinal issues, visit:

www.cancer.org

www.gastro.org