• Screening for colorectal cancer
  • Abdominal pain, changes in bowel movements, or weight lost
  • Abnormal changes found on sigmoidoscopy
  • Anemia due to low iron (usually when no other cause has been found) 
  • Blood in the stool, or black, tarry stools
  • Follow-up of a past finding, such as polyps or colon cancer
  • Inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis and Crohn disease)