Cancer Screening Guidelines for Adults

Colorectal Cancer Screening

The American Cancer Society recommends colorectal cancer screening for all adults beginning at age 45-50, with options including colonoscopy every 10 years, annual fecal immunochemical test (FIT) or high-sensitivity guaiac-based fecal occult blood test (FOBT), multitarget stool DNA test every 3 years, CT colonography every 5 years, and flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years 1, 3, 4
The choice between these options should be based on personal preferences, risk factors, and test availability, with all positive results on non-colonoscopy screening tests followed up with a timely colonoscopy 1
Annual FOBT plus flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years provides greater accuracy than either test alone 3, 4

The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends providing information about potential benefits and harms of screening for men aged 55-69 years 2
The American Urological Association strongly recommends shared decision-making for men age 55-69 years 5
Prostate cancer screening includes a PSA blood test and possibly a digital rectal examination (DRE), with benefits including a potential reduction in prostate cancer mortality and harms including false positives, overdiagnosis, and potential treatment complications 2, 3, 5

The American Cancer Society recommends annual health check-ups including blood pressure measurement, lipid profile assessment, diabetes screening, and discussion about healthy lifestyle choices 1
Individuals with risk factors such as obesity or family history may require more intensive surveillance, including more frequent diabetes screening 1, 7