The AAFP recommends offering genetic testing for Lynch syndrome to patients newly diagnosed with colorectal cancer to reduce morbidity and mortality in relatives. Genetic testing should be offered to first degree relatives of those found to have Lynch syndrome, and those positive for Lynch syndrome should be offered earlier and more frequent screening for colorectal cancer. (2012)
These recommendations are provided only as assistance for physicians making clinical decisions regarding the care of their patients. As such, they cannot substitute for the individual judgment brought to each clinical situation by the patient's family physician. As with all clinical reference resources, they reflect the best understanding of the science of medicine at the time of publication, but they should be used with the clear understanding that continued research may result in new knowledge and recommendations. These recommendations are only one element in the complex process of improving the health of America. To be effective, the recommendations must be implemented.