Which colorectal cancer screening test is recommended annually?

Which colorectal cancer screening test is recommended annually?

• A. Serum cancer marker testing annually
• B. Colonoscopy every 2 years
• C. Flexible sigmoidoscopy annually
• D. Fecal occult blood screening annually

Answer: (D)

Regular colorectal cancer screening uses different tests with different recommended intervals. Stool-based tests that look for hidden blood are designed to be done every year because they detect intermittent bleeding that can signal polyps or cancer, and doing them annually increases the chance of catching a problem early. If a stool test is positive, a follow-up colonoscopy is needed to diagnose and remove polyps. Serum cancer marker testing is not used for population screening because it does not reliably detect colorectal cancer in the general population. Colonoscopy is a highly effective test but is performed less often (about every 10 years for average-risk individuals, not every 2 years). Flexible sigmoidoscopy is not done annually; it’s typically repeated every few years and only examines part of the colon. Therefore, the option that is truly recommended on an annual basis is fecal occult blood screening.

Regular colorectal cancer screening uses different tests with different recommended intervals. Stool-based tests that look for hidden blood are designed to be done every year because they detect intermittent bleeding that can signal polyps or cancer, and doing them annually increases the chance of catching a problem early. If a stool test is positive, a follow-up colonoscopy is needed to diagnose and remove polyps.

Serum cancer marker testing is not used for population screening because it does not reliably detect colorectal cancer in the general population. Colonoscopy is a highly effective test but is performed less often (about every 10 years for average-risk individuals, not every 2 years). Flexible sigmoidoscopy is not done annually; it’s typically repeated every few years and only examines part of the colon. Therefore, the option that is truly recommended on an annual basis is fecal occult blood screening.