Due for a colonoscopy? Don't wait.

In a recent study, women who had a screening colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy before age 50 had about a 55 percent lower risk of colorectal cancer by age 55 than those who had neither.

What to do

Get screened starting at age 45, as the American Cancer Society and others now recommend. For more on screening for all cancers, go to the American Cancer Society or CDC websites.