Gene test 'could prevent cancer'
1 Oct 2014
Offering younger people diagnosed with bowel cancer a new genetic test could be cost effective and prevent further cases, new research suggests.
Researchers at the University of Exeter have indicated that screening the 1,700 people under the age of 50 who are newly diagnosed with bowel cancer in England each year would identify two thirds of these whose cancer was caused by Lynch syndrome.
Lynch syndrome is a condition caused by mutations in the genes responsible for proof-reading DNA and those with the condition have a significantly increased risk of developing colorectal cancer and an increased risk of developing other types of cancers such as pancreatic cancer and liver cancer.
“Those with Lynch syndrome will now be found and given the care that they warrant
Cardiff University’s Ian Frayling
According to researchers, if Lynch syndrome is identified as the cause of bowel cancer, patients can be offered risk-reducing measures such as more intensive post-operative colonoscopy surveillance to spot recurrences and new cancers early.
As close relatives have a 50% chance of having the condition, it is suggested that this testing will help identify them and ensure that they also receive appropriate care.
Tristan Snowsill, of the University of Exeter Medical School, said: “This is the first evidence that systematic testing for Lynch syndrome could be cost-effective in the NHS. There are health professionals in the NHS who think cost-effectiveness is the hurdle that needs to be cleared before systematic testing can be implemented; policymakers now have that evidence before them to decide if this is right for the NHS, a decision which will not be solely based on cost-effectiveness.”
After systematically reviewing 42 separate studies surrounding Lynch syndrome and bowel cancer, the Exeter-based team constructed a computer model of screening strategies for Lynch syndrome.
The study suggests that all screening strategies helped improve health outcomes at a cost generally acceptable to the NHS.
Ian Frayling, of Cardiff University’s Institute of Medical Genetics, who was clinical advisor on the research, said: “This is a very significant piece of work which is much to be welcomed. It justifies the National Health Services in the UK implementing such testing, which is already carried out in other European countries.
“Those with Lynch syndrome will now be found and given the care that they warrant, saving time, lives, money and resources.”
Stephen Sutton, a teenager from England who died in May, had a family history of Lynch syndrome. Through his efforts, he boosted awareness and has raised over £4 million for cancer research.
