Abbott launches ‘Mind Your Behind’ campaign to encourage Americans 45+ to screen for colorectal cancer

• Baseball stars Albert Pujols and Cal Raleigh team up with Cologuard Plus® to bring humor to an important health conversation
• The Cologuard Plus® test is an American Cancer Society-preferred, noninvasive screening option that can be used at home and detects 95% of colorectal cancers

ABBOTT PARK, Ill., Oct. 13, 2026 - Abbott, the global healthcare leader, today launched "Mind Your Behind," a new Cologuard Plus® awareness campaign featuring baseball legend and three-time MVP Albert "The Machine" Pujols and catcher for the Seattle Mariners Cal "The Big Dumper" Raleigh to encourage adults to prioritize colorectal cancer screening.

Baseball fans have long had a fascination with players' backsides-including tight uniforms, "cheeky" nicknames and viral conversations about the game's most famous butts. Abbott is channeling that attention toward something far more important: raising awareness of colorectal cancer screening. Colorectal cancer screening should begin at 45 for average risk adults², yet as many as 60 million eligible Americans remain unscreened.¹

Through a series of humorous videos shared in English and Spanish, Pujols and Raleigh use their well-known personas to deliver an important health message: adults should start screening for colorectal cancer at age 45² and can use Cologuard Plus as a simple use-at-home screening option. The campaign launches as Pujols, 46, has reached the recommended screening age and is encouraging others to prioritize their health and "mind their behind."

"Taking care of my health has always been important to me, and now that I'm in my mid-40s, colorectal cancer screening is part of that effort," said Albert Pujols, Future Hall of Famer. "I know colorectal cancer is not something everyone wants to talk about, but that's why I wanted to be part of this campaign. If a little humor gets people my age thinking about screening and letting them know about a test that they can fit into their everyday lives and use at home, that's a good thing."

Colorectal cancer screening can help find cancer in its earliest stages, when there are often no symptoms and treatment can be most effective.² For adults 45 and older at average risk, the American Cancer Society guideline recommend Cologuard Plus® as a preferred stool-based screening option every three years.³ The noninvasive test can be used at home in about 15 minutes⁶ and sent to a lab for results. It doesn't require any special preparation or dietary changes.⁴ The FDA-approved Cologuard Plus® test detects 95% of colorectal cancers³ which is similar to a colonoscopy, as seen in separate studies.⁵ When colorectal cancer is found early, 90% of patients survive five years or more after diagnosis.⁷

"As a catcher, I'm used to people paying attention to what happens behind the plate. This campaign is a fun way for me to move their attention from that to something much more important," said Cal Raleigh, catcher for the Seattle Mariners. "Colorectal cancer screening is not always an easy topic to discuss, but I hope this campaign encourages adults 45 and older to talk with a healthcare provider and find out if Cologuard Plus is right for them."

"Colorectal cancer screening is serious, but how we talk about it doesn't always have to be," said Jake Orville, Abbott's Senior Vice President, Cancer Diagnostics. "We want to make screening easier to talk about and, more importantly, easier to act on. Cologuard Plus gives adults 45 and older at average risk an effective, noninvasive option they can use at home, and this campaign gives us a fun, unexpected way to encourage more people to get screened."

Adults aged 45 or older who are at average risk for colorectal cancer should talk with their healthcare provider about the screening option that is right for them.¹ To learn more about colorectal cancer screening starting at age 45, Cologuard Plus, and the "Mind Your Behind" campaign, visit Cologuard.com/baseball.

About the Cologuard Plus® Test

Developed in collaboration with Mayo Clinic, the FDA-approved Cologuard Plus® test is a noninvasive colorectal cancer (CRC) screening option for adults aged 45 or older who are at average risk for the disease. The use-at-home test detects novel DNA biomarkers and blood in stool associated with colorectal cancer and advanced precancerous lesions, requiring no special preparation or time off to take the test. Cologuard tests have been used to screen for colon cancer millions of times.

Featuring novel biomarkers, improved laboratory processes and enhanced sample stability, the Cologuard Plus test is FDA-approved for both colon cancer and advanced precancerous lesion detection. By relying exclusively on molecular data from the patient sample, it helps support accurate results and reflects Abbott's commitment to expanding access to colorectal cancer screening.

About Abbott:

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 122,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

Connect with us at www.abbott.com, and on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.

1. Ebner DW, Kisiel JB, Fendrick AM, et al. Estimated Average-Risk Colorectal Cancer Screening-Eligible Population in the US. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(3):e245537.
2. CDC. Reducing risk for colorectal cancer. Updated June 17, 2026. Accessed September 24, 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/colorectal-cancer/prevention/index.html
3. Wolf AMD, Hoffman RM, Walter LC, et al. Colorectal cancer screening: an update to the American Cancer Society guideline, 2026. CA Cancer JClin. 2026;76(3): e70083.
4. Cologuard Plus Clinician Brochure. Exact Sciences Corporation. Madison, WI.
5. Davidson KW, Barry MJ, Mangione CM, et al. Screening for colorectal cancer: US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. JAMA. 2021;325(19):1965-1977.
6. DOF. Abbott; Madison, WI. Cologuard Kit Completion Time Survey Results. [REF-01193]. 2025.
7. National Cancer Institute. SEER cancer stat facts: colorectal cancer. Accessed September 17, 2026. https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/colorect.html