Deep Dive: Deep Dive Into Genetic Testing in Colorectal Cancer

During Colon Cancer Awareness Month, Rachel Pearlman, MS, LGC, speaks to the importance of genetic testing in colorectal cancer. Although universal tumor screenings still have an important place in the treatment landscape, she notes that it shouldn’t be the only factor driving genetic testing anymore. She explains how universal testing is not effective in catching all cases of Lynch syndrome and a significant portion will not pick up mismatch repair variants. Additionally, she speaks to her work on the Ohio Colorectal Cancer Prevention Initiative and how the efforts have led to exploration of accessible gene testing in other disease types such as endometrial cancer.