New AGA guideline recommends colorectal cancer patients to undergo tumor test for Lynch syndrome

All colorectal cancer patients should undergo tumor testing to see if they carry Lynch syndrome, the most common inherited cause of colorectal cancer, according to a new guideline published in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association.

"Approximately 50,000 Americans are expected to die from colorectal cancer this year, and hereditary syndromes account for a small, but important fraction of those diagnoses," said Joel H. Rubenstein, MD, AGAF, lead author of the guideline, research scientist at the Veterans Affairs Center for Clinical Management Research and associate professor, division of gastroenterology at the University of Michigan Medical School. "The majority of patients with Lynch syndrome are unaware that they have the syndrome. The AGA recommendation for tumor testing in all newly diagnosed cases of colorectal cancer to identify Lynch syndrome could be considered as a process measure to ensure that patients are receiving the highest quality of care."

AGA developed the guideline using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology and best practices as outlined by the Institute of Medicine. The recommendations on the diagnosis and management of Lynch syndrome follow; review the full guidelines for information on the strength of the recommendations.

Source: American Gastroenterological Association