For decades the accepted medical practice in the United States was for people to have their first colonoscopy at the age of 50, searching for signs of colon or rectal cancer. That has changed. The new recommendation is for folks with average risk factors to have their first colonoscopy at the age of 45.

Colorectal cancer is a very common cancer. To qualify as a “common cancer,” the estimated annual incidence for 2021 has to be 40,000 cases or more.