Colorectal (bowel) cancer screening: how countries compare
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General information only. Not medical advice and not a substitute for a doctor.
Elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
Each country bases its guidelines on its own evidence reviews and health system. Age Flags lists them side by side and does not judge between them.
United States
| Item | Who it is for | How often / doses | Guideline | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stool test, or a test that looks inside the bowel (colonoscopy, CT colonography or sigmoidoscopy) Colorectal (bowel) cancer screening |
ages 45 to 49 | High-sensitivity guaiac stool test (gFOBT) or faecal immunochemical test (FIT) — every year · Multitarget stool DNA test with FIT (sDNA-FIT) · CT colonography — every 5 years · Flexible sigmoidoscopy — every 5 years · Flexible sigmoidoscopy, plus a FIT stool test every year — every 10 years · Colonoscopy — every 10 years · Stool DNA-FIT is repeated every 1 to 3 years. | US Preventive Services Task Force · Colorectal Cancer: Screening · USPSTF grade B MyHealthfinder: Get Screened for Colorectal Cancer |
|
| Stool test, or a test that looks inside the bowel (colonoscopy, CT colonography or sigmoidoscopy) Colorectal (bowel) cancer screening |
ages 50 to 75 | High-sensitivity guaiac stool test (gFOBT) or faecal immunochemical test (FIT) — every year · Multitarget stool DNA test with FIT (sDNA-FIT) · CT colonography — every 5 years · Flexible sigmoidoscopy — every 5 years · Flexible sigmoidoscopy, plus a FIT stool test every year — every 10 years · Colonoscopy — every 10 years · Stool DNA-FIT is repeated every 1 to 3 years. | US Preventive Services Task Force · Colorectal Cancer: Screening · USPSTF grade A MyHealthfinder: Get Screened for Colorectal Cancer |
England, UK
| Item | Who it is for | How often / doses | Guideline | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faecal immunochemical test (FIT) home kit Colorectal (bowel) cancer screening |
ages 50 to 74 | every 2 years | NHS England · NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme · National programme Bowel cancer screening |
China
| Item | Who it is for | How often / doses | Guideline | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colonoscopy Colorectal (bowel) cancer screening |
ages 40 to 74; Assessed as at high risk of sporadic colorectal cancer on the national risk score (based on age, sex, colorectal cancer in a parent, child or sibling, smoking and body mass index) | every 5–10 years · People who cannot tolerate or decline colonoscopy may instead have a faecal occult blood test every year or another listed test. If a parent, child or sibling was diagnosed before age 60, or two or more were diagnosed, screening starts 10 years before the earliest diagnosis age in the family, with no lower age limit. | National Health Commission (China) · 结直肠癌筛查与早诊早治方案(2024年版) · National guideline 国家卫生健康委办公厅关于印发肺癌筛查与早诊早治方案(2024年版)和结直肠癌筛查与早诊早治方案(2024年版)的通知 — 朝阳市卫生健康委员会网站转载 |
Japan
| Item | Who it is for | How often / doses | Guideline | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faecal immunochemical test (two-day sample) Colorectal (bowel) cancer screening |
age 40 and over | every year · Screening is particularly recommended for people aged 40 to 69. | Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japan) · がん予防重点健康教育及びがん検診実施のための指針 · National guideline がん検診について（国立がん研究センター がん情報サービス） がん予防重点健康教育及びがん検診実施のための指針の一部改正について（令和7年12月24日 通知） The publisher has listed a newer edition, which applies from a later date. Source |
Spain
| Item | Who it is for | How often / doses | Guideline | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faecal occult blood test (stool test) Colorectal (bowel) cancer screening |
ages 50 to 74 | every 2 years · The upper age was raised from 69 to 74 in 2026. Regions have 5 years from that change to start the extension and 10 years to reach close to full coverage of people aged 70 to 74, so screening at those ages may not yet be offered everywhere. | Ministerio de Sanidad (Spain) · Cribado poblacional de cáncer colorrectal (cartera común básica de servicios del SNS; Orden SND/356/2026) · National programme Real Decreto 1030/2006, de 15 de septiembre, cartera de servicios comunes del SNS — texto consolidado, anexo I apartado 3 (BOE) |
Brazil
No national guideline item on this topic could be verified automatically for this country.
Emergency and crisis lines
United States
Emergency 911 Emergency services (United States) · Source
Crisis line 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (United States) · Available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. · Source
United Kingdom
Emergency 999 NHS England · Source
Health advice 111 NHS England · Source
Crisis line 116 123 Samaritans · Open 24 hours a day. · Source
China
Emergency 120 National Health Commission (China) · Source
Crisis line 12356 National Health Commission (China) · Each line provides at least 18 hours of service a day under the national notice; hours vary by city. · Source
Japan
Emergency 119 Fire and Disaster Management Agency (Japan) · Source
Crisis line 0120‑061‑338 #いのちSOS (Lifelink) · Open 24 hours a day, every day (free call). · Source
Crisis line 0120‑279‑338 Yorisoi Hotline · Open 24 hours a day (free call). · Source
Spain
Emergency 112 Emergency services (Spain) · Source
Crisis line 024 Ministerio de Sanidad (Spain) · Free and confidential, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. · Source
Brazil
Emergency 192 Ministério da Saúde (Brazil) · Source
Crisis line 188 CVV — Centro de Valorização da Vida · Free, 24 hours a day, anywhere in Brazil. · Source
Elsewhere, call your local emergency number.