Colon cancer screening: At what age can you stop?
March, 19th, 2025
Question
I'm 76 years old and am wondering when it's no longer necessary to get colon cancer screening? Is there an upper age limit?
Summary
Some groups recommend people over 75 may consider stopping colon cancer screening. Not everyone agrees. Learn about your colon cancer screening options.
Answer
, Answer Section, ,
There’s no upper age limit for colon cancer screening. But most medical organizations in the United States agree that the benefits of screening decline after age 75 for most people and there’s little evidence to support continuing screening after age 85.
Discuss colon cancer screening with your health care provider. Together you can consider the benefits and risks of continued screening.
You and your provider might decide that it’s a good idea to continue colon cancer screening if any of the following apply to you:
- You’re in excellent health.
- You’ve never had colon cancer screening before.
- You have a factor that increases your risk of colon cancer, such as a strong family history of colon cancer, a previous colon cancer diagnosis or a personal history of colon polyps.
© 1998-2025 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. Terms of Use
