

In addition, cancers associated with Lynch syndrome are more likely to be diagnosed at a young age. Clues to whether there is Lynch syndrome in a family include diagnoses of colorectal, endometrial, ovarian, and/or other cancers in multiple relatives on the same side of a family. Estimates suggest as many as 1 in every 300 people may be carriers of an alteration in a gene associated with Lynch syndrome.

Lynch syndrome is among the most common hereditary cancer syndromes. There is also an increased risk of developing other types of cancers, such as endometrial (uterine), gastric (stomach), ovarian, small bowel (small intestines), pancreatic, prostate, urinary tract, kidney, bile duct, and brain cancers. People who have Lynch syndrome have a significantly increased risk of developing colorectal cancer. A benign tumor means the tumor can grow but will not spread. A tumor can be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous), which means it can spread to other parts of the body. Lynch Syndrome is also known as hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC).Ĭancer begins when normal cells begin to change and grow out of control, forming a mass called a tumor. This means people with Lynch syndrome have a higher risk of certain types of cancer.

Lynch syndrome is a type of inherited cancer syndrome associated with a genetic predisposition to different cancer types.
