Starting at age 45, all adults should get screened for colon cancer. Screening used to start at age 50, but an increasing number of people younger than 50 are being diagnosed with colon cancer.
However, regardless of age, it's important to talk to a doctor about worrisome symptoms such as:
- Blood in the stool
- Change in bowel habits
- Unexpected weight loss
People with certain conditions may need to start screening earlier than age 45. Some of these conditions include:
- Colon polyp syndromes
- Crohn's disease
- Ulcerative colitis
- Family history of colon cancer