Who is a colonoscopy recommended for?

Anyone after the age of 50 should have a colonoscopy screening, even if they have no family or family history of bowel problems.
Those who have a family history of colorectal cancer or polyps, or have a genetically inherited bowel disease or have inflammatory bowel disease should be followed up for colonoscopy at an earlier age for colorectal cancer.
Patients previously treated for colorectal cancer or followed up for polyps should also be followed up with colonoscopy.
Colonoscopy is also required for those with rectal bleeding, changes in bowel habits, persistent bloating, and abdominal pain.
Colonoscopy is still required if anything suspicious is seen in the large intestine in any imaging method performed on the abdomen.
Colonoscopy can be performed for anemia of unknown cause, occult blood in the stool, and weight loss of unknown cause.
Colonoscopy is not only used for cancer, it is used for detection and stopping of colorectal bleeding, detection of inflammatory bowel diseases, diagnostic biopsy procedures and polyp excisions when necessary.