Lynch syndrome is an adult-onset hereditary condition that runs in families. It is associated with an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer as well as other cancers.
Approximately 2-5% of all colorectal cancer cases is associated with a hereditary cancer syndrome.
Estimates suggest that one in 300 people may carry a faulty copy of a DNA mismatch repair (MMR) gene associated with Lynch syndrome.
Approximately, up to 5% of colorectal cancer and 3% of endometrial (uterine) cancer cases are caused by Lynch syndrome.
Largely caused by chance events, driven by age and environmental factors
A combination of genes and environmental factors resulting in an elevated cancer risk
There are different hereditary cancer syndromes associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer, of which Lynch syndrome is the most common
Hereditary cancer makes up about 5-10% of all cases of cancer. Some genes function to protect us from cancer. When they are not working well, it causes hereditary cancer. We refer to genes that are not working well as faulty genes.
Individuals who carry a faulty cancer gene(s) have a higher chance of developing certain cancers over their lifetime compared to the general population. The types of cancers that they may be at increased risk of will depend on the gene(s) involved.
If you have a faulty cancer gene, you may be at increased risk of developing certain cancers. As genes are shared among family, other family members may have inherited the faulty gene and may be at increased risk of cancer too.
Hereditary cancer accounts for up to 10% of all cases of cancer.
Genetic testing is offered to individuals where a hereditary cause of their personal and/or family history of cancer is suspected.
Genes contain the instructions that our body reads to carry out different functions. Genetic testing involves analysing your genes to understand if there are faults (i.e., mutations) that may increase the risk of diseases like cancer.
There are 3 types of results you may receive:
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