A young adult patient whose family history contains many first- and second-degree relatives who have had colon cancer wants to know if yearly colonoscopies would be a good idea. The best response by the nurse would be to encourage the patient to
a. ask the physician about the colonoscopies.
b. not worry because risks are low at his or her age.
c. search for a company to provide screening.
d. talk to the doctor about genetic screening.
D
The patient and physician can go over the patient's history, family history, and benefits and drawbacks to screening. This also keeps the health care provider in the communication loop with the patient and the results.
The patient could ask the physician about doing yearly colonoscopies, but this invasive procedure carries risks. The best answer would be to inquire about genetic screening.
Although colon cancer does occur more often in older patients, this patient's family history puts him or her in a high-risk group and that needs to be addressed.
Some companies do provide private genetic screening, but this approach can lead to misunderstanding and confusion. It would be better for the patient to have genetic screening guided by the health care professionals who know the patient.
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