Lynch Syndrome Screening and Surveillance Trends among Gastroenterologists in Japan: A Questionnaire Survey-based Analysis

• Published in: Internal Medicine 2024, pp.4471-24
• Main Authors: Urabe, Yuji, Oka, Shiro, Ishikawa, Hideki, Nakajima, Takeshi, Tanakaya, Kohji, Takayama, Tetsuji, Ishida, Hideyuki, Tanaka, Shinji
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Lynch syndrome; microsatellite instability testing; mismatch repair genetic testing; questionnaire survey; universal tumor screening
• ISSN: 0918-2918; 1349-7235; 1349-7235
• DOI: 10.2169/internalmedicine.4471-24

Objective Screening and surveillance methodologies for Lynch syndrome (LS) in Japan. This study assessed the changes in LS knowledge and practice trends. Methods In 2020 and 2022, 2 questionnaire surveys were administered to 3574 councilors of the Japanese Society of Gastroenterology to assess changes in LS-related knowledge and practices. Patients or Materials Each questionnaire item was analyzed by comparing responses between the first and second surveys to determine the proportion of doctors selecting each option relative to the total number of respondents. The responses from doctors who completed both surveys were analyzed to assess the temporal changes in their responses. Results The second survey showed a significant increase in the awareness of universal tumor screening (UTS), proportion of doctors selecting UTS for primary LS screening, use of BRAF V600E testing for chemotherapy selection, and number of newly diagnosed LS patients per doctor over the last three years. In addition, the number of patients currently under surveillance by doctors has also increased. Doctors who intensified primary screening for LS between surveys reported a greater increase in newly diagnosed cases. However, the rise in UTS suggests a potential bias from doctors with heightened interest in LS, which may have influenced the findings. Conclusion The number of newly diagnosed and currently monitored patients with LS in Japan has been increasing, likely due to expanded screening practices. However, the potential bias introduced by the increased adoption of UTS should be considered when interpreting these results.