Colorectal Cancer Screening Guidelines

Beginning at age 45, both men and women should be counseled by their doctors to follow one of these testing schedules:

Tests that find polyps and cancer:

  • Flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years,* or
  • Colonoscopy every 10 years, or
  • Double-contrast barium enema every five years,* or
  • CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy) every five years.

Tests that primarily find cancer:

  • Yearly guaiac-based fecal occult blood test (gFOBT),** or
  • Yearly fecal immunochemical test (FIT),** or
  • Stool DNA test (sDNA) every three years.

*If the test is positive, a colonoscopy should be done.

**The multiple stool take-home test should be used. One test performed by the doctor in the office is not enough. A colonoscopy should be performed if the test is positive.

The tests are designed to find polyps and detect early cancer. Talk to a doctor about which test is best for you. Some people should be screened using a different schedule because of their personal history or family history.

Think you’re alone? You’re not:

To learn more about the stories of people we’ve represented in lawsuits because their doctors failed to diagnose their cancer in a timely manner, click here. 

The Medical Team We Use to Investigate Your Case:

We have longstanding relationships with many of the top medical experts in this field. We hire these experts to review your medical records and test results, and determine whether your endometrial cancer should have been diagnosed sooner. If you suspect you’ve been the victim of a doctors’ failure to make a timely diagnosis of your cancer, contact us for a free case evaluation.

Taking Care of Your Family:

If you’re worried about who will take care of your family should your cancer prove fatal, or if you’re worried about how you’ll pay for your medical bills, learn more about the compensation you might be able to recover if your doctor failed to make a timely diagnosis of your cancer. See the results* we have obtained for our clients due to their doctors’ failure to diagnose their cancer early.

*Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.