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Colorectal Cancer Screening Recommendations

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends screening for colorectal cancer in average-risk adults aged 45 to 75 years. Recommended colorectal cancer screening strategies include:

  • High-sensitivity guaiac fecal occult blood test (HSgFOBT) or fecal immunochemical test (FIT) every year
  • Stool DNA-FIT (Cologuard) every 1 to 3 years
  • Computed tomography colonography (virtual colonoscopy) every 5 years
  • Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years
  • Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 10 years + annual FIT
  • Colonoscopy screening every 10 years

The USPSTF recommends that clinicians selectively offer screening for colorectal cancer in adults aged 76 to 85 years. Evidence indicates that the net benefit of screening all persons in this age group is small. In determining whether this service is appropriate in individual cases, patients and clinicians should consider the patient's overall health, prior screening history, and preferences.

The Community Preventive Services Task Force (Community Guide) has published several findings around colorectal cancer screening with recommendations that inform the interventions selected for inclusion on EBCCP:

Additional evidence can be found in Cancer Trends Progress Report: Colorectal Cancer Screening.