How often should a man have a colonoscopy after age 50?

Men, beginning at age 50, should have a colonoscopy once every 10 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A colonoscopy, a high-sensitivity fecal occult blood test (FOBT), and a flexible sigmoidoscopy comprise colorectal cancer screening. Individuals should receive screenings until age 75.

Doctors use a colonoscope, a flexible and lighted tube, to examine the interior walls of the rectum and entire colon during a colonoscopy, explains the CDC. Other possible colonoscopy procedures include collection of tissue or removal of polyps.

An FOBT is a yearly screening that checks for hidden blood in three consecutive stool samples, states the CDC. A flexible sigmoidoscopy, which uses a sigmoidoscope to examine the interior walls of the rectum and part of the colon, should occur every five years.