Why
Impact of Lynch Syndrome Tumor Screening
- A diagnosis of Lynch Syndrome may affect the patient’s
- surgical and chemotherapeutic management decisions
- future medical care (giving them the ability to prevent additional Lynch related cancers)
- Identification of a patient with Lynch Syndrome also provides the opportunity for the prevention of cancer among their family members who are at high risk.
- First-degree relatives who test negative for the identified gene mutation (pathogenic variant) are no longer at increased risk for CRC or other Lynch Syndrome-related malignancies, nor are their children at risk for Lynch Syndrome.
- Relatives who test positive for the familial mutation require colonoscopy every one to two years beginning at age 25, in addition to screening for non-colonic cancers.
Reasons to Screen
- Without routine screening only 3% of individuals with Lynch syndrome are identified. Screening identifies cases that are/were being missed at your own or other institutions.
- Many organizations recommend screening all newly diagnosed colorectal and endometrial tumors for Lynch syndrome:
- Tumor screening is cost effective.
- Nearly all patients favor tumor screening [Link to paper].
- A number of institutions are already conducting tumor screening and your institution may fall behind without screening.