Coordinated prospective follow-up of Lynch syndrome is able to detect the majority of incident cancers

Abstract

BackgroundLynch syndrome is one of the most common genetic predispositions to many cancers, most of which do not have a consensus recommendation for screening. AimsWe studied in our region the value of a systematized and coordinated follow-up program for patients with Lynch syndrome on all organs at risk. MethodsA multicenter prospective cohort evaluation was performed, from January 2016 to June 2021. ResultsOne hundred and seventy-eight patients were prospectively included (104 women (58%), median age 44 years, range 35–56 years) with a median follow-up of 4 years (range 2.5–5 years), corresponding to a total of 652 patient-years. The overall cancer incidence rate was 13.80 per 1000 patient-years. Seven of nine cancers (78%) were detected during the follow-up program, with all cancers identified at an early stage. The detection rate of adenomas during colonoscopies was 24%. ConclusionThese preliminary data suggest that coordinated prospective follow-up of Lynch syndrome is capable of detecting the majority of incident cancers, particularly for locations not covered by an international follow-up recommendation. However, these results need to be confirmed by larger-scale studies.