Screening Guidelines
Regular screening is the best way to prevent colorectal cancer. It is important that you are aware if you have any factor that increases the risk of you having the disease. If so you’ll need to discuss with your doctor about it and most likely start getting screened early. To answer the question “when should I start getting screened’?
The US preventive service task force (USPSTF) recommends that you start getting screened at the age of 45 (both male and female). However, in a case where you have factors that increases your risk of having it, such as;
- You have an inflammatory bowel disease [2] such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.
- You have a family history of colorectal polyps or colorectal cancer.
- You have any genetic syndrome that can lead to colorectal cancer.
If you have any of these factors you would need to be extra cautious of colorectal cancer.