JUNE 7, 2019

GI Practice Doubles Yield of GI Cancer–Related Mutations by Looking Beyond GI Cancer

When gastroenterologists in a private practice recently expanded a screening questionnaire for familial gastrointestinal cancers, they expected to see a bump in their detection of relevant genetic mutations. What they observed was far more dramatic: The detection rate of GI cancer mutations rose roughly 2.5-fold after the change, they reported, suggesting that many groups may be underscreening their patients for these forms of cancer.

Screening for GI cancer “should address overall cancer