Highlights from ACG2026

Focus on Ulcerative Colitis and Cronn's Disease

DAY 3: The Landscape of Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Screening

In the Emily Couric Memorial Lecture, Dr. Aasma Shaukat NYU Langone Health in New York, NY, reviewed the rapid expansion of CRC screening options. Dr. Shaukat noted that only 59% of adults age 45 years and older are up to date on CRC screening, and rates are even lower at federally qualified health centers (FQHCs). The goal is to reach 80% in every community.

October 16, 2026

DAY 3: Clinical Approaches to Esophageal Disorders

In this afternoon panel discussion, six experts gave short presentations on topics ranging from abelchia to esophageal dysplasia. Dr. C. Prakash Gyawali, from Washington University in St. Louis, MO, reviewed the clinical approaches to abelchia, supragastric belching, and hiccups. Abelchia, also called retrograde cricopharyngeal dysfunction, is defined as the inability to belch.

October 16, 2026

DAY 3: Late-Breaking Clinical Trial Findings

On the final day of the meeting, the latest results from several clinical trials in liver disease, esophageal disorders, colorectal cancer (CRC), and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) were presented. Dr. Abdullah Sultany, from Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, PA, presented results from a real-world study of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) effects on mortality and healthcare utilization in patients with cirrhosis.

October 16, 2026

DAY 3: What IBD Patients Want to Know

In the final session of the ACG 2026 Annual Meeting, presenters used a case-based format to discuss how they address common questions from their patients. 4 different cases were analyzed.

October 16, 2026

DAY 1: Clinical Trial Updates Presented at the ACG President’s Plenary

The ACG Scientific Sessions opened with the President’s plenary session, where the latest data from 10 clinical trials across gastroenterology were presented.
Dr. Evan S. Dellon, from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, presented the 24-week results of the REMODEL trial, a phase 4 randomized, placebo-controlled trial of dupilumab, a dual inhibitor of IL-4 and IL-13, in a population with severe eosinophilic esophagitis. Patients were randomized 2:1 to dupilumab (n=46) or placebo (n=23). The primary outcome was absolute change from baseline in esophageal distensibility plateau by FLIP.

October 14, 2026

DAY 1: Outgoing ACG President Outlines Challenges and Opportunities in Gastroenterology

In his presidential address, ACG President Dr. William D. Chey shared his thoughts about current challenges and future opportunities for the field of gastroenterology.
Dr. Chey described the many challenges facing gastroenterology, including the rising costs of care, stagnant or declining reimbursement, a shift from physician practice ownership to employment with an accompanying loss of autonomy, a mismatch between workforce supply and patient demand, growing burnout, and the double-edged sword of artificial intelligence.

October 14, 2026

DAY 1: Section Editor Picks Best IBD Articles from the American Journal of Gastroenterology

Dr. Raymond K. Cross, of the Melissa L. Posner Institute for Digestive Health & Liver Disease at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, MD, reviewed his picks for the best articles on IBD published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology in the last year.
Dr. Cross summarized the findings and take-home messages from six papers on IBD published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology in the past year.

October 14, 2026

DAY 1: Navigating Complications of Crohn’s Disease (CD)

In an afternoon session, 3 presenters described their approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of complicated CD, including perianal fistulas, fibrostenotic disease, and post-operative recurrence.
Dr. David A. Schwartz of Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN, reviewed the management of perianal fistulizing CD.

October 14, 2026

DAY 2: New Research on Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Prevention

In a Tuesday morning session, researchers described recent findings from studies of colon cancer and CRC screening. Dr. Thomas Imperiale, MD, from Indiana University School of Medicine, in Indianapolis, IN, presented research examining whether the performance of fecal immunochemical testing (FIT), the most used non-invasive CRC screening test, varies by sex.

October 15, 2026

DAY 2: Applying the New Rome V Criteria to Clinical Practice

In the ACG J. Edward Berk Distinguished Lecture, Dr. Lin Chang from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, in Los Angeles, CA, reviewed what has changed in the new Rome V criteria and how to apply them to patient care. Dr. Chang started her presentation with a high-level overview of the changes in Rome V, including a shift in care for disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI) away from diagnosis by exclusion and toward patient-centered and mechanism-informed diagnosis.

October 15, 2026

DAY 2: Debates in GI: Diet vs. Pharma in IBS and Cannabis Use vs. Risk in DGBI

Four leaders in the GI field debated the usefulness of diet versus medical treatment of IBS and the role of cannabis use in the treatment of disorders of gut-brain interaction. In the first debate, Dr. Prashant Singh from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI, argued for the utility of dietary changes in the treatment of IBS. He listed several common objections and made the case that each is false. A commonly heard objection is that patients don’t want dietary treatment.

October 15, 2026

DAY 2: The Latest Clinical Trial Findings In IBD

Seven short presentations provided updates from clinical trials of various advanced therapies pharmacotherapies in patients with ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease. Dr. Millie D. Long of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, presented efficacy and safety results from AFFIRM, a phase 3 study of subcutaneous risankizumab induction and maintenance in patients with moderately to severely active Crohn's disease (CD).

October 15, 2026

Highlights from ACG2026

Focus on Ulcerative Colitis and Cronn's Disease

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