Osu James Screening for Hereditary Colon Cancer

Summary

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"It's very easy to tell from the test if the proteins are present or absent in the tumor," [Heather Hampel] says. "About 80 percent of tumors will have all four proteins present, and those patients are less likely to have the hereditary form of colon cancer. About 20 percent of tumors will have one or two proteins missing, and those patients are more likely to have the hereditary form of cancer."

"By having them start with annual colonoscopies at an earlier age, we can identify any polyps and remove them, which will prevent the colon cancer from happening in the first place," Hampel says. "This is where doctors can really intervene and make a difference." Individuals with Lynch syndrome also need increased surveillance for the other associated cancers, which are endometrial, stomach and ovarian.

"Of those 23 patients, we've tested around 200 atrisk relatives and identified 100 people who have inherited Lynch syndrome and should receive increased cancer surveillance," Hampel says. "The other 100 relatives found out they had not inherited Lynch syndrome and can follow screening recommendations for the general population, which means they don't have to undergo unnecessary screenings."

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Osu James Screening for Hereditary Colon Cancer

A newly instituted screening test performed on all colon cancer patients at the Ohio State University Medical Center's James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute may be key to detecting a hereditary cance...

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