An independent task force composed of experts in prevention and evidence-based medicine is recommending that adults begin getting screened for colorectal cancer at age 45, instead of 50, a significant change driven by new science that shows screening at that younger age could prevent more deaths from the disease.

“Colorectal cancer is the third-leading cause of cancer deaths, and we know that colorectal cancer screening can save lives,” said John Wong, a member of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and interim chief scientific officer at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. “When we looked at the data, we found that screening beginning at age 45 instead of age 50 would provide benefits and help save more lives.”

The final recommendation statement Tuesday updates guidelines from about five years ago, which had concluded that data on lowering the starting age was mixed and that beginning screening before 50 would provide only a “modest” benefit.

The task force’s recommendation is largely consistent with a draft document released in October and closely aligns with guidance from the American Cancer Society, which since 2018 has said regular screenings should start at 45, given the continuing rise in colorectal cancer cases in younger adults. A paper published in JAMA Open Network in April found that colorectal cancer was estimated to become the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in people ages 20 to 49 by 2030.

Outside experts said the consensus among the leading organizations could have broad implications for access to care. Many insurance companies base their coverage on recommendations from the task force, which evaluates screening tests, counseling services and preventive medications, said Robert Smith, senior vice president of cancer screening for the American Cancer Society.

The final recommendation would make regular colorectal cancer screenings for people ages 45 to 75 a service that most private insurance plans would be required to cover with no co-pay for patients.

“Physicians are very mindful of the burden of care for uncovered procedures, and so they will be influenced by this,” Smith said.

The task force recommends two screening methods: direct visualization tests, such as colonoscopies, and stool-based tests.

Kimmie Ng, director of the Young-Onset Colorectal Cancer Center at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, said the updated guidelines will have “a huge impact” by making these tools available “to millions more individuals in the United States.”

Rates of colorectal cancer, which causes tumors in the colon and rectum, among people under 50 have been increasing by about 2% annually in recent years, troubling experts who have yet to determine what is causing the rise. Although a March report from the cancer society indicates that the trend is largely being driven by climbing rates among younger White people, Black people have historically been hit much harder by the disease than other groups.