Colorectal Cancer Screening Market - Strategic Insights and Forecasts (2026-2031)

The colorectal cancer screening market, growing at a 4.3% CAGR, is expected to grow to USD 20.33 billion in 2031 from USD 16.48 billion in 2026.

The noncancerous growth known as a polyp, which can appear on the inner wall of the colon or rectum as people age, is where colorectal cancer most frequently develops. The higher prevalence rate of colorectal cancer due to changing lifestyles, diabetes, and obesity are major growth drivers of the colorectal cancer screening market. Moreover, the increasing smoking culture among people coupled with the growing older population is also expected to increase the risk of colon cancer thereby propelling the colorectal cancer screening market. The increasing awareness about the adverse effects of colorectal cancer and product launches by the market players resulting in more accessibility are further contemplated to augment the colorectal cancer screening market.

Colorectal Cancer Screening Market Growth Drivers:

• Higher Prevalence of Colorectal Cancer

The rising colorectal cancer cases indicate the need for screening and thus contribute positively to the colorectal cancer screening market. With more than 1.9 million cases identified, colorectal cancer was the third most frequent cancer type in the world in 2020, according to the WHO. A projected 153,020 new cases of colorectal cancer (CRC) will be identified in the US in 2023, and 52,550 deaths are estimated as per the American Cancer Society. 

• Changing Lifestyle and Diet

A normal Western diet that is high in fat and calories and poor in fiber may be linked to colon and rectal cancer and Colon cancer is more prone to occur in those who are inactive. According to NCBI, the average amount of time spent sitting each day is 7.7 hours for adults in America and 8.3 hours for the Korean population. According to the WHO, over 80% of young people worldwide don't participate in enough physical activity leading to numerous serious health issues including colorectal cancer. Therefore, the adoption of a sedentary lifestyle is expected to aid the colorectal cancer screening market.

• Growing Prevalence of Smoking among Population

A significant risk factor for colorectal cancer (CRC) is cigarette smoking. Smoking was found to dramatically increase the risk of CRC formation in animal models as well as CRC incidence and mortality in humans, according to studies by the NCBI.  According to the WHO, 36.7% of all males and 7.8% of all women consumed tobacco worldwide in 2020, making up 22.3% of the global population.  In the UK, there were 6.9 million adult smokers in 2021 equating to 13.3% of adults (aged 18+) according to Cancer Research UK. This huge population engaged in smoking and tobacco indicates higher cases of colorectal cancer cases shortly thus widening the colorectal cancer screening market.

• Rising Older Population and Chronic Inflammatory Diseases

The majority of instances affect persons over 50 years of age. The Mayo Clinic reports that colon cancer rates among persons under 50 have been rising. According to the American Cancer Society, 80,010 out of a total of 147,950 colorectal cancer cases were reported in individuals aged 65 years or above i.e., around 50% of total cases. The rising older population is therefore contemplated to bolster the colorectal cancer screening market. For instance, people aged 60 years or above are projected to reach 1.4 billion by 2030 from 1 billion in 2020 according to the WHO estimates.

• Increased Awareness about Colorectal Cancer

Multiple campaigns to increase awareness among people coupled with technological innovation are positively driving the colorectal cancer screening market. For instance, US people aged 45 years or older are educated about the value of routine colorectal cancer screenings as part of the CDC's Screen for Life: National Colorectal Cancer Action Campaign. Moreover, in April 2023, the International Agency for Cancer Research published an inaugural report under its Can5 initiative on cancer screening in five continents.

Colorectal Cancer Screening Market Geographical Outlook:

• North America is Expected to Grow Significantly

The North American region is expected to hold a significant share of the colorectal cancer screening market during the forecast period. Various factors attributed to such a share are an educated population, government programs, and a higher prevalence of colorectal-causing factors such as smoking and a sedentary lifestyle. For instance, Around 1,600 American teenagers under the age of 18 light up their first cigarette every day, and 16 million additional people suffer from a serious ailment brought on by smoking as per the CDC data. Moreover, the presence of major market leaders such as Exact Science Corporation, and Polymedco Inc. are further expected to aid the colorectal cancer screening market.

Colorectal Cancer Screening Market Key Players:

• Exact Science Corporation is a US-based molecular diagnostics company that specializes in detection of early-stage cancers. Cologuard is a stool DNA-bases colorectal cancer screening test offered by the company and it is also developing a blood-based screening method for colorectal cancer.

• Eiken Chemical Co. Ltd. is one of the leading clinical testing companies. The company launched a fully automated fecal immunochemical test OC-SENSOR Ceres™ in November 2022.

Colorectal Cancer Screening Market Key Developments:

• December 2025: Guardant Health continued commercialization of its FDA-approved Shield™ blood-based colorectal cancer screening test, expanding access to noninvasive liquid biopsy screening across U.S. healthcare systems.

• November 2025: Abbott Laboratories announced acquisition of Exact Sciences (including Cologuard platform), strengthening its position in colorectal cancer screening diagnostics and expanding its portfolio in early cancer detection technologies.

• October 2025: Geneoscopy validated its FDA-approved ColoSense® RNA-based screening test with improved sample collection method, enhancing usability, reducing errors, and supporting broader adoption of noninvasive colorectal cancer screening.

• March 2025: Exact Sciences launched Cologuard Plus™, an FDA-approved next-generation stool DNA test with 95% sensitivity and 94% specificity, improving noninvasive colorectal cancer screening accuracy and patient compliance.

List of Top Colorectal Cancer Screening Companies:

• F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG

• QuidelOrtho Corporation

• Siemens Healthineers AG

• Sysmex Corporation

• Olympus Corporation

Colorectal Cancer Screening Market Scope