This week, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) published updated guidelines for the screening of colorectal cancer in the Annals of Internal Medicine. For the first time, the task force endorsed three tests and said everyone aged 50 to 75 years should get screened with one of the following:

• Colonoscopy of the entire colon every 10 years.
• Sigmoidoscopy of the lower colon every five years, combined with a stool blood test every three years.
• Stool blood test every year.

Additional recommendations include:

• Adults 76 to 85 years of age should not undergo routine screening for colorectal cancer, although there may be considerations that support colorectal cancer screening in an individual patient.
• Adults older than 85 years of age should not be screened for colorectal cancer.

The USPSTF also concluded that the evidence is insufficient to assess the benefits and harms of CT colonography and fecal DNA testing as screening modalities for colorectal cancer.

More information about the recommendations is available online:

• Screening for Colorectal Cancer: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement
• Editorial
• Recommendation Summary
• Evaluating Test Strategies for Colorectal Cancer Screening: A Decision Analysis for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
• Screening for Colorectal Cancer: A Targeted, Updated Systematic Review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
• Summary for Patients