Colon Screening

Colon cancer screening is best performed by colonoscopy and should begin at age 50 and be performed every ten years.

If a person has a family history of a parent or sibling having colon cancer or a polyp before age 65, then colonoscopy should begin at age 40 or ten years younger than the age of the family member when they have been diagnosed with colon cancer or polyps. Subsequent colonoscopies should be at five year intervals.

If a person has a personal history of polyps on a previous colonoscopy, typically colonoscopy should subsequently be performed at three to five year intervals.