Posted on: April 6, 2022

FIT for Lynch Study – New diagnostic techniques for bowel cancer detection and prevention

For Bowel Cancer Awareness Month we want to shine a spotlight on some of the research that is being undertaken at St Mark’s, the UK’s national bowel hospital.

FIT for Lynch Study – New diagnostic techniques for bowel cancer detection and prevention

The St Mark’s Lynch Syndrome Clinic is undertaking a range of projects which are being supported by 40tude Curing Colon Cancer. One of the projects aims to develop more tests which facilitate the prevention and early diagnosis of cancer in people with Lynch Syndrome (LS).

During the Covid-19 pandemic, St Mark’s spearheaded a national project to improve access to colonoscopy for high risk patients by using a stool FIT test to identify patients in greatest need of support. Ultimately, FIT was shown to provide clinical value to patients with LS during this time when options for endoscopy were limited. A next step will be to assess what role FIT has alongside colonoscopy.

Dr Kevin Monahan, a consultant gastroenterologist at St Mark’s, says, ‘‘We’re working closely with people with LS to design national health services – our work can’t be achieved without them. The FIT for Lynch Study is the first longitudinal study of its kind which will assess the potential role of faecal immunochemical testing (FIT) as a means of bowel cancer surveillance in people with LS. Studies such as this one are incredibly important in providing physicians and researchers alike with the insight they may need in shaping and improving clinical guidelines. Currently, our research teams are continuing to recruit eligible individuals with LS throughout the UK. Should this study be of interest to you, please reach out to our study team fitforlynchstudy@kcl.ac.uk”