Lynch syndrome may be the most common cause of hereditary colorectal cancer, but it often goes undetected. A short questionnaire can help.
A group at a busy gastroenterology office at the University of British Columbia found that by administering the brief survey, they could significantly boost their identification of patients with Lynch syndrome. The instrument, called the Colorectal Cancer Risk Assessment Tool, was developed by Fay Kastrinos, MD, the director of the Gastrointestinal High Risk and Prevention Program at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, and her colleagues.
Lynch syndrome may occur in as many as one in 280 Americans, according to the CDC. Yet some researchers estimate that fewer than 2% of people with Lynch syndrome know they have the disorder. Identifying Lynch syndrome early is critical, Kastrinos said, but the challenge is finding a screening tool that can be easily and cheaply deployed.