What is the recommended starting age for colorectal cancer screening in average-risk adults?

COLORECTAL CANCER SCREENING: In 2021, the USPSTF lowered the recommended starting age from 50 to 45 years for average-risk adults, in response to rising colorectal cancer rates in the 45-54 age group. SCREENING OPTIONS at 45: Colonoscopy every 10 years (gold standard — can both detect and remove polyps); Annual high-sensitivity fecal occult blood test (FOBT) or fecal immunochemical test (FIT); Stool DNA test every 1-3 years; CT colonography every 5 years. HIGH-RISK GROUPS start earlier: family history of colorectal cancer or polyps — may start at 40 or 10 years before the age of diagnosis in the family member; inflammatory bowel disease — may start 8-15 years after IBD onset; Lynch syndrome — colonoscopy starting at 20-25; hereditary polyposis syndromes — flexible sigmoidoscopy starting in late teen years.