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Screening for colorectal cancer

  1. Home
  2. Cancer information
  3. Cancer types
  4. Colorectal
  5. Screening

Screening means checking for a disease in a group of people who don’t show any symptoms of the disease. Screening tests help find colorectal cancer before any symptoms develop. When colorectal cancer is found and treated early, the chances of successful treatment are better.

If you are 50 to 74 years old and not at high risk for colorectal cancer, have a stool test every 2 years. If you are 75 or older, talk to your doctor about whether a stool test is right for you.

Find out more about colorectal cancer screening.

Expert review and references

  • Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (CPAC). An update on colorectal cancer screening in Canada. Toronto, ON: Canadian Partnership Against Cancer; 2012.
  • Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (CPAC). Colorectal Cancer Screening in Canada. Toronto, ON: Canadian Partnership Against Cancer; 2013.
  • Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care . Recommendations on screening for colorectal cancer in primary care. CMAJ. 2016: http://www.cmaj.ca/content/188/5/340.full.pdf+html.