ACG Practice Guidelines
Am J Gastroenterol 2009; 104: 739–750; doi:10.1038/ajg.2009.104; published online 24 February 2009
American College of Gastroenterology Guidelines for Colorectal Cancer Screening 2008
Douglas K Rex MD, FACG1, David A Johnson MD, FACG1, Joseph C Anderson MD1, Phillip S Schoenfeld MD, MSEd, MSc (Epi), FACG1, Carol A Burke MD, FACG1 and John M Inadomi MD, FACG1
1Indiana University Medical Center, Gastroenterology, IU Hospital, Indianapolis, USA
Correspondence: Douglas K. Rex, MD, FACG, Indiana University Medical Center, Gastroenterology, 550 N University Blvd., IU Hospital, #4100, Indianapolis 46202, USA. E-mail: drex@iupui.edu
Received 21 October 2008; Accepted 12 December 2008; Published online 24 February 2009.
Abstract
This document is the first update of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) colorectal cancer (CRC) screening recommendations since 2000. The CRC screening tests are now grouped into cancer prevention tests and cancer detection tests. Colonoscopy every 10 years, beginning at age 50, remains the preferred CRC screening strategy. It is recognized that colonoscopy is not available in every clinical setting because of economic limitations. It is also realized that not all eligible persons are willing to undergo colonoscopy for screening purposes. In these cases, patients should be offered an alternative CRC prevention test (flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5–10 years, or a computed tomography (CT) colonography every 5 years) or a cancer detection test (fecal immunochemical test for blood, FIT).
