Colon Cancer Screening

Flexible sigmoidoscopy is a very good test to screen for colon cancer. Some experts believe that the chance of detecting colon cancer can be increased by combining sigmoidoscopy with barium enema or stool cards (fecal occult blood tests).

After a normal sigmoidoscopy, you can wait five years before your next colon cancer screening test. At that point, you can choose between several different tests, including

• repeat flexible sigmoidoscopy, with or without stool cards (fecal occult blood tests) or barium enema

• barium enema or stool cards alone

• colonoscopy

• computed tomography, also called "virtual" colonoscopy.