What Is Colon Cancer Screening?
Colon cancer screening looks for colorectal cancer and precancerous polyps before symptoms appear — when the disease is most preventable and treatable. Because polyps can be found and removed before they ever become cancer, screening doesn't just catch colon cancer early; it can stop it from developing at all.
When to Start
Most guidelines recommend average-risk adults begin screening at age 45 and continue through 75, with decisions after that individualized. People with a family history of colorectal cancer or polyps, or certain other risk factors, may need to start earlier and screen more often.
Your Screening Options
There's more than one way to screen, and the best test is the one that fits your risk and that you'll actually complete.
| Option | What it involves |
|---|---|
| Colonoscopy | A thin camera examines the entire colon and removes polyps in the same visit, under sedation; typically every 10 years if normal |
| At-home stool tests | FIT (yearly) or multi-target stool DNA (every 1–3 years) check for hidden blood or abnormal DNA; no prep |
Preparing and What to Expect
Colonoscopy requires a bowel-prep regimen the day before to clean out the colon, plus a ride home after sedation. Stool-based tests need no preparation and are done at home. Your physician recommends the right option and, based on your results, when to screen again.