Guidelines for the management of hereditary colorectal cancer from the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG)/ Association of Coloproctologists of Great Britain and Ireland (ACPGBI)/ United Kingdom Cancer Genetics Group (UKCGG)

They have been reviewed and endorsed by ACPGBI and UKCGG and have been published in Gut

Abstract

Heritable factors account for approximately 35% of colorectal cancer (CRC) risk, and almost 30% of the population in the United Kingdom (UK) have a family history of CRC.  The quantification of an individual’s lifetime risk of gastrointestinal cancer may incorporate clinical and molecular data, and depends on accurate phenotypic and genetic diagnosis. In turn this may facilitate targeted risk-reducing interventions, such as endoscopic surveillance, preventative surgical approaches, and chemoprophylaxis, which when optimally applied provide opportunities for cancer prevention.

This guideline for the management of hereditary CRC is an update from the 2010 ‘British Society of Gastroenterology / Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland  (BSG/ACPGBI) guidelines for colorectal screening and surveillance in moderate and high-risk groups’, however this guideline is concerned specifically with people who have increased lifetime risk of CRC due to hereditary factors.  On this occasion we invited the UK Cancer Genetics Group (UKCGG), a subgroup within the British Society of Genetic Medicine (BSGM), to work as a partner to BSG and ACPGBI in the multidisciplinary guideline development process.

We also invited external review through the Delphi process by members of the public as well as the steering committees of the European Hereditary Tumour Group (EHTG) and the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE).  A systematic review of 10,189 publications was undertaken to develop 67 evidence and expert opinion based-recommendations for the management of hereditary CRC risk.  Ten research recommendations are also prioritised to inform clinical management of people at hereditary CRC risk.

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UK guidelines for the care of people at genetic risk of bowel cancer