Hereditary cancer genetic testing can help inform medical management options for your patients with colorectal cancer.1
Genetic testing is underutilized in patients with colorectal cancer—despite insurance coverage1
There are more than one million colorectal cancer survivors in the United States, and the majority haven’t undergone hereditary cancer genetic testing.2,3
1 in 9 patients with colorectal cancer may have clinically actionable variants4
Identifying a clinically actionable variant may impact your medical management by informing risk assessment and personalized treatment options.1,5
Advanced care for your patients—no matter your specialty
Hereditary cancer genetic testing can help you identify patients with disease-causing gene variants4
Uncovering a disease-causing gene variant in your patients can help assess their future cancer risk and a potential diagnosis of Lynch syndrome.1,5
Hereditary cancer genetic testing can help you identify individuals who1,5:
- may require more frequent screenings
- have a higher risk of developing hereditary colorectal cancer syndromes (e.g., Lynch syndrome, familial adenomatous polyposis)
- should be assessed for the risk of other cancer types
Guidelines recommend assessment for cancer risk as a standard for gastroenterology patient evaluations6,7:
- The American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) recommends that assessment for cancer susceptibility should be a standard part of patient evaluations in gastroenterology offices and endoscopy practices. Further, hereditary cancer genetic testing should be part of the standard of care for patients at increased risk.6
- The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) recommends those with personal or family history of hereditary colorectal cancer syndrome consider testing for known variants.7
- NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) allow for consideration of hereditary cancer genetic testing in all colorectal cancer patients regardless of age.8 Recent study findings support the broadening of testing criteria for patients with colorectal cancer.1,4
- NCCN Guidelines recommend hereditary cancer genetic testing for certain patient types8—click here to find out more.
We partner with you to integrate genetic testing into your clinic workflow to help increase patient access
- When patients are referred out to another provider for testing, less than half of those eligible for hereditary cancer genetic testing follow through on submitting test samples.10
- In a study of young adults (ages 18–49) with colorectal cancer, referral to and attendance at genetic counseling appointments differed by race/ethnicity. Black patients were significantly less likely to be referred to a genetic counselor and less likely to attend appointments compared to Hispanic and White patients.11
