Cancer Genetics Clinic

The Gastrointestinal (GI) Center Genetics Clinic provides colorectal cancer screening, chemoprevention, and genetic risk evaluation for individuals who have a GI tumor or polyps, and a personal and/or family history that is suggestive of an inherited cancer predisposition. Genetic counseling is also available for individuals who have never had a GI tumor, but have a significant family history of cancer. Families with a genetic mutation associated with any of the following hereditary cancer predisposition syndromes may also be evaluated:

Lynch syndrome, also known as Hereditary Nonpolyposis Colorectal Cancer (HNPCC)
Familial Adenomatous Polyposis
MYH-associated Polyposis
Hereditary diffuse gastric cancer
Peutz-Jeghers syndrome
Juvenile Polyposis syndrome

Clinic Staff

Our team of specially trained genetic counselors and physicians provide hereditary cancer risk assessment, genetic counseling and genetic testing, individualized cancer screening and prevention programs.

Patrick Lynch, JD, MD – Gastroenterologist
Miguel Rodriguez-Bigas, MD – Colorectal Surgeon
Devki Saraiya, MS – Genetic Counselor
Thuy Vu, MS, CGC – Genetic Counselor

Genetic risk assessment is recommended for individuals with the following histories:

Colorectal cancer diagnosed before the age of 50
Colorectal cancer diagnosed at any age, AND personal history of any of the following:
- Previous colon cancer history
- Endometrial cancer
- Sebaceous neoplasias
- Gastric, pancreas, ureter and renal pelvis, biliary tract, brain, or small intestinal cancers
Gastrointestinal polyps
- Multiple (more than 10) adenomas, on a single colonoscopy
- Hamartomatous polyps, any number, occurring at any age
Gastric adenocarcinoma diagnosed before the age of 50
Gastric adenocarcinoma diagnosed at any age, AND any of the following:
- Personal history of lobular breast cancer
- Family history of gastric adenocarcinoma and/or lobular breast cancer
Pancreas carcinoma at any age, AND personal/family history of one or more of the following:
- Melanoma diagnosed before the age of 40
- Breast cancer diagnosed before the age of 50
- Ovarian cancer
- Colorectal cancer diagnosed before the age of 50
- Chronic non-alcoholic pancreatitis
- Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry
Family history of a known mutation for a cancer predisposition syndrome

Genetic risk assessment may be considered for individuals with the following histories:

Colorectal cancer diagnosed before the age of 60 AND family history of any of the following:
- Colorectal cancer
- Endometrial cancer
- Sebaceous neoplasias
- Gastric, pancreas, ureter and renal pelvis, biliary tract, brain, or small intestinal cancers
More than five adenomas on a single colonoscopy
Admixed hyperplastic and adenomatous polyps, more than 10 in number, or a polyp larger than 2 centimeters