Date: May 4, 2026

Author: Kaitlin Sylvester, Strategic Director, ACS National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable 

I am thrilled to share that on April 1, 2026, we officially launched our ACS NCCRT 2026-2029 Strategic Roadmap. This Roadmap isn’t just document, it’s a collective vision shaped by the expertise, insight, and dedication of our committed members and partners from across the country and will guide our work as the ACS NCCRT across the colorectal (CRC) continuum for the next several years.   

For over a decade, ACS NCCRT members and partners have rallied around a shared goal to reach CRC screening rates of 80% and higher across the nation. That commitment has driven real progress and improved outcomes for many people affected by CRC. At the same time, the CRC landscape continues to evolve, and national data and lived experience tells us that there is the opportunity to have a greater impact by not just focusing on screening alone. That’s why our 2026-2029 Strategic Roadmap expands the Roundtable’s focus to prioritize the reduction of CRC mortality and mortality-related disparities, allowing us to take action across the CRC continuum.  

As our ACS NCCRT Chair Steven Itzkowitz, MD, FACP, FACG, AGAF, shared, “Our 2026–2029 Strategic Roadmap is a commitment to health equity. Together, we are charting a path that ensures every person—no matter who they are or where they live—has access to the lifesaving opportunities of CRC prevention, screening, and timely care.” 

To build on this promise and respond to nationally identified needs, the new Strategic Roadmap focuses our work across five priority areas aimed at maximizing impact, efficiency, and sustainability: 

• Priority 1: Mobilize national and community-level efforts that will lead to health equity across the CRC continuum 
• Priority 2: Improve timely action for early-age onset (EAO) CRC signs and symptoms. 
• Priority 3: Support on-time screening as soon as eligible and continue participation per screening recommendations. 
• Priority 4: Promote timely colonoscopy follow-up to positive (abnormal) non-colonoscopy tests. 
• Priority 5: Identify areas to ensure timely initiation of quality CRC treatment. 

This roadmap would not exist without the passion, leadership, and generosity of the ACS NCCRT volunteers, members, and partners who gave their time and expertise to help bring it to life. We are deeply grateful for your contributions and inspired by your unwavering commitment to reducing the burden of CRC incidence and mortality in the US. 

As the American Cancer Society’s longest-running national roundtable, we’re honored to enter our 30th year of impactful work with a bold, forward-looking strategy and an incredible community beside us. I invite you to explore the 2026–2029 Strategic Roadmap and join us as we bring this vision to life. Stay tuned—we’ll be sharing more about what each priority means, how you can engage, and what’s next on this exciting journey. 

Here’s to collaboration, impact, and a future with fewer CRC deaths!