It’s increasingly common to see headlines and social media conversations about the rise in colorectal cancer among younger adults. In fact, the growing incidence of colorectal cancer in people under age 50 helped drive the American Cancer Society’s 2018 decision to recommend lowering the recommended age for average-risk screening from 50 to 45.

Riding on the momentum of increasing public awareness of colorectal cancer, the society has now released updated screening guidelines in May 2026 to include new tests that reflect the latest science and could improve access to care.

I am a public health researcher who has spent nearly 20 years developing colorectal cancer prevention programs and studying ways to improve screening guidelines. Offering more options for screening can help detect cancer earlier or prevent it altogether.

What’s new in the updated screening guidelines?

The updated guidelines have added two additional screening options.

The first option is an at-home screening test that checks stool samples for hidden blood and other molecular markers that may indicate........

© The Conversation