Question: I am a woman in my 60s. My father had colon cancer. I’ve had several colonoscopies over the years with the removal of one or two polyps. How often should I be screened? One doctor says every three years and another says every five.

Dr. Hibberd's answer:
Polyps are the most common findings discovered in people who undergo colorectal screening or who have a diagnostic work-up for symptoms. In the 1970s, such patients used to have annual follow-up surveillance examinations to detect additional new or missed adenomas, which are the most common type of polyps.
Guidelines developed jointly by the US Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer and the American Cancer Society suggests that people are at increased risk if they have either three or more adenomas, with dysplasia (could progress to cancer), or an adenoma 1 cm or larger in size, it is then recommended that they have a 3-year follow-up colonoscopy. People at lower risk who have 1 or 2 small tubular adenomas with no high-grade dysplasia can have a follow-up evaluation in 5-10 years. Your report would indicate the nature of your polyps, and you could then have a discussion with your doctor to decide how often you should be screened.