Abstract
Background: Lynch syndrome accounts for 3% of newly diagnosed endometrial cancers and colon cancers. Identifying patients with Lynch syndrome is fundamental to enable proper screening and prevention of at-risk malignancies, along with encouraging cascade testing of family members. We aimed to assess medical students' knowledge of Lynch syndrome-associated cancers and screening and prevention measures to decrease malignancy risk in patients with Lynch syndrome.
Methods: An anonymous, voluntary, multiple-choice survey was emailed to 14 medical schools throughout the US to evaluate medical students’ knowledge of Lynch syndrome.
Results: We surveyed 342 medical students, and 65% were third or fourth-year medical students. Ninety-three percent knew that colon cancer is one of two most commonly diagnosed cancers in Lynch syndrome; however, only 37% knew endometrial cancer was the other most common malignancy in Lynch syndrome patients. Fifty-nine percent of students recognized that 2-5% of all newly diagnosed endometrial and colon cancers are due to Lynch syndrome. Ninety-one percent recognized a family history that would indicate evaluation for Lynch syndrome, but only 49% knew that all patients diagnosed with endometrial cancer prior to age 50 should be evaluated for Lynch syndrome as per the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines regardless of other risk factors.
Conclusion: Almost two-thirds of medical students did not recognize endometrial cancer as a common Lynch syndrome malignancy and less than 50% were aware of when to evaluate patients with endometrial cancer for Lynch syndrome; comparatively almost all students recognized the link between colon cancer and Lynch syndrome. Curriculum change with targeted education regarding endometrial cancer and Lynch syndrome during medical school obstetrics and gynecology clinical rotations should be implemented. This call to action is critical in improving the diagnosis of Lynch syndrome, evaluation, screening, and prevention of cancers in both patients and family members to reduce mortality.
Keywords: Lynch syndrome, endometrial cancer, colon cancer, screening, medical student, evaluation.
Graphical Abstract
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61049-0] [PMID: 22036019]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/157340412803760667] [PMID: 23316129]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/gutjnl-2016-312712] [PMID: 27733426]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bpg.2011.10.015] [PMID: 22122763]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.aan6733] [PMID: 28596308]
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